Bitwarden password manager

Purdue University has made Bitwarden available to all Purdue current faculty and staff. This page provides information about Bitwarden, the benefits it brings to users, how to request access, and frequently asked questions.

What is Bitwarden?

Bitwarden is a password manager which allows users to securely store, generate, and manage their passwords. You have a vault that stores passwords, secure notes, and other information. 

To learn more about Bitwarden and what it can do, visit https://bitwarden.com/.

Why do I need a password manager?

Password managers are crucial to maintaining a secure online presence. You only need to memorize one master password and in this case, your Purdue career account password to access Bitwarden. Password managers, like Bitwarden, allow you to have unique and stronger passwords for your accounts with the built-in password generator. With unique passwords, if one account is compromised, your other accounts will be safe.

How do I request access to Bitwarden?

Bitwarden is an opt-in service and can be requested by submitting this form:

Please allow up to an hour for the system to process your request. Once processed, you will receive an email from Bitwarden inviting you to the Bitwarden Purdue business vault. 

Note: If you do not receive this email after an hour, please open a support ticket with the Purdue IT Service Desk.

Frequently Asked Questions

What if I already have a Bitwarden account associated with my Purdue email?

Users with existing accounts will simply be asked via email to join the Purdue Bitwarden vault. Your existing vault will stay intact, and you will need to use your Purdue career account to log in instead of your master password. After entering your Purdue email address, click on “Use single sign-on" instead of continue. The login is protected by Microsoft's Multi-Factor Authentication, and you will be prompted to approve the login on your device.

How do I set up Bitwarden on my computer?

Bitwarden offers a web browser extension, a desktop application, and a mobile application. These can be downloaded at https://bitwarden.com/download/.

Note: You may want to pin the Bitwarden extension after installation for easy, ongoing
access. For instructions on how to do this, please perform a web search specifying your
web browser and how to pin extensions.

Can I store personal passwords in my Bitwarden account?

It is recommended that personal passwords are not stored in your Purdue Bitwarden account. Instead, you can create a Bitwarden families account and add that to the Bitwarden application you installed. Bitwarden allows you to sign into multiple accounts at the same time. You can switch between accounts by clicking on your account avatar.

With the Purdue Bitwarden account, you get a Bitwarden Families account which is a personal account that includes 5 additional licenses to setup premium personal accounts at no additional cost while affiliated with Purdue. You can claim the Families benefit by navigating to “Settings” and then “Free Bitwarden Families”. You will have to create a family organization and enter payment details; however, you will not be charged while affiliated with the university.

Note: Upon separation from the university or if Purdue no longer contracts with Bitwarden,
you will have to pay for the Bitwarden Families benefit to retain it. 

Why do I need to verify my login from a new device?
Since your Bitwarden vault contains all your passwords, extra security measures are put in place to protect you from threat actors. If a threat actor was able to obtain your Purdue credentials and tries to login from an unfamiliar device, Bitwarden will detect this and require the new device be approved and authorized.
Can I import my passwords from a different vault or provider?

Yes, Bitwarden can import data from either another Bitwarden vault or most other popular password managers. Follow their guides here to import the passwords based on the provider:  https://bitwarden.com/help/import-data/.

When am I able to have access to Bitwarden?
When you are actively affiliated with the university as faculty or staff.
When do I lose access to Bitwarden?

Access to the Purdue Bitwarden vault is lost upon separation from the university. If you would like to retain access, you can export your vault by following the instructions here: https://bitwarden.com/help/export-your-data/.

Note: Upon separation from the university or if Purdue no longer contracts with Bitwarden, you will have to pay for the Bitwarden Families benefit to retain it.

How do I securely share passwords and notes?

Sharing items in Bitwarden requires the use of a collection under the Purdue vault. More information on creating and managing collections can be found here: https://bitwarden.com/help/about-collections/.

Can I have a department or group Bitwarden account?
No. Sharing a Bitwarden account is not permitted. You can share passwords and notes between other Purdue Bitwarden users by using "Collections". See "How do I securely share passwords and notes?" on how to do this.

Questions?

Anyone with questions or concerns regarding use of this service can
contact security@purdue.edu.