Stay secure with vault health reports in Bitwarden Password Manager

Strong, unique passwords are the most effective defense against data breaches. Yet most users don't realize which of their online accounts lack two-factor authentication (2FA), which passwords appear in data breaches, or whether credentials are reused across sites. According to a recent survey, 36% of global respondents incorporate personal information into their passwords, nearly 39% use weak credentials, and 35% store passwords insecurely.

Bitwarden Password Manager surfaces these insights with vault health reports included in every Premium account ($24/year). These reports reveal exactly what needs attention so users can strengthen security and proactively address their most critical vulnerabilities.

Six distinct reports work together to identify and close security gaps across online accounts.

The exposed passwords report reveals whether any passwords have been exposed in data breaches. Users should check this regularly and immediately change any compromised passwords using the built-in password generator to create strong, unique replacements.

Using the same password across multiple accounts multiplies risk exponentially. If that password is exposed in a breach, every account becomes vulnerable at once. By contrast, if passwords are unique to each account, a breach can only affect one account. This report identifies reused passwords so users can establish unique credentials for each site.

Easily guessed passwords like "password" create a real security risk. Strong passwords such as random character strings like %k!k$BBhXUms2e are far more difficult to compromise. This report surfaces weak passwords so users can strengthen them immediately.

Strong passwords include a combination of uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and special characters; words unrelated to personal information; and at least 14 characters or longer. To put this in perspective: an 8-character password takes a hacker 39 minutes to crack, while a 16-character password takes a billion years.

Creating strong, unique passwords for every device and account can be challenging. When 58% of users rely on memory alone to manage passwords, a password manager becomes essential. It generates and stores long, complex passwords for each site with only one main password for the user to remember.

Users can test password strength using the Bitwarden password strength testing tool. Type in or copy a password to receive an evaluation. For example, "Passwo$d1" registers as weak and would take 41 minutes to crack, while "hunky-dates-56-cats" registers as strong and would take centuries to crack. The password is never transmitted to Bitwarden servers; it's processed locally in the device's web browser.

Every login should use HTTPS, not HTTP. With the latter, login information travels in plain text and can be intercepted. HTTPS encrypts that data, making it far harder to read. This report identifies any vault items using HTTP so users can switch to HTTPS.

Two-factor authentication (2FA) adds an essential security layer to account logins. This report shows which accounts offer 2FA but haven't enabled it yet. Users can activate 2FA on every site that supports it for stronger protection.

This report checks for breaches associated with usernames or email addresses. If a breach exposed account credentials or personal information like Social Security numbers, users should change those passwords immediately. Breaches often compromise sensitive data beyond just login credentials, making swift action critical to preventing identity theft.

A quick note: Some reports run automatically, while others, like the data breach report, require manual action. Users can enter a username, click Check Breaches, and see results in seconds.

To access these reports, users must use the Bitwarden web vault. Reports are not available in the desktop or mobile apps.

In addition to detailed reports, Bitwarden notifies users right inside the browser extension, web app, and desktop application of any at-risk passwords that need to be updated. This ensures vulnerabilities are identified and resolved before they become a potential threat to digital security. Passwords are considered “at-risk” if they are weak, reused, or compromised in a data breach — taking the key information offered in vault health reports and delivering it to Bitwarden users for immediate action. Bitwarden also offers password coaching that guides end users to update their passwords to stronger alternatives.

For organizations, Bitwarden vault health reports provide enterprise-level insights into team password practices. Admins can run organization-wide health reports to identify exposure across all accounts and receive actionable alerts for weak or compromised credentials. This visibility enables teams to enforce stronger password practices at scale and resolve security gaps before they impact the organization. With the Bitwarden zero-knowledge architecture, admins gain visibility into vault health without accessing user data directly.

Ready to protect your accounts? Sign up for a free business trial to protect your team online, or quickly get started with a free individual account.