The need for local storage eliminated a lot of contenders because many password management vendors are only available in the cloud. While cloud technology offers extensive benefits, it doesn’t give organizations control over their own local data. Also very critical was a platform that enabled local data storage. Mark’s team at NASA Goddard sought out a site that could support multiple users, offered an intuitive Web UI, and was easy to share. Real-world examples also prove illustrative: just look at SolarWinds and Colonial Pipeline for more evidence. And, the link between weak passwords and data breaches is undeniable, with a succession of Verizon Data Breach Reports highlighting the connection. While government agencies have always been targets of cybercrime, particularly by nation-state actors, the 2022 SonicWall Cyber Threat Report showed a large increase in all forms of cyberattacks against the U.S. Identifying a secure, holistic way to share secure information and passwords was a critical task for teams at NASA Goddard. When the time came for NASA Goddard to migrate away from other legacy systems, the IT team started looking for a replacement password management. It was also locked into one system and had an associated encryption that was written for a limited 32-bit code base.

While a ‘good enough’ tool, it was written in ColdFusion (CFML), over 15 years old, and created by a developer who had long departed the organization. When LINUX systems engineer Mark Miller first joined the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, NASA Goddard was managing passwords with a tool called Cryptvault.

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