Secure password sharing for Dutch agencies

Dutch agencies — whether they work in web development, digital marketing, design or communications — usually serve a large portfolio of clients at the same time. Each of those clients has its own accounts, platforms and credentials. Managing and handing over that access is a structural part of agency work, but it rarely gets the attention it deserves from a security perspective.

Behind the scenes: access as a daily commodity

A typical Dutch digital agency manages anywhere from a handful to dozens of credentials for every active client:

• Hosting and domain management (TransIP, Antagonist, Cloudflare)
• CMS logins (WordPress, Craft CMS, Drupal, Contentful)
• Advertising platforms (Google Ads, Meta Business Suite, LinkedIn Campaign Manager)
• Analytics and tracking (Google Analytics, Hotjar, Mixpanel)
• Email marketing (Mailchimp, Klaviyo, ActiveCampaign)
• Project management and communication tools (Asana, Monday, Notion)

All of that access gets created, sometimes shared between team members, and eventually handed over to the client or a successor agency. Every one of those moments is a chance for something to go wrong.

Structural weak spots at agencies

High turnover and freelancers Dutch agencies work extensively with freelancers, interns and project staff, who get temporary access to client accounts. When the project ends that access is not always revoked properly — and the passwords that were shared are already out there.

Client handovers as a risk moment When a client moves to another agency, or a project wraps up, all credentials have to be handed over. That often happens in one large batch: an email or a shared document with dozens of logins. The document then lingers in a mailbox or in cloud storage.

Employees leaving the agency A departing account manager or developer may have dozens of passwords sitting in their personal email, sent to or received from clients. That risk is hard to mitigate once email has been the primary channel.

How Dutch agencies can organise this better

The solution does not have to be complicated. Many agencies assume they need to roll out a full password management system before they can improve security. But for the specific problem of handing over passwords — to clients, from clients, or to freelancers — a one-time secure link is already an enormous improvement.

Step 1: write down a handover policy Establish internally that passwords are never sent by email or chat. The standard is: always through a one-time secure link.

Step 2: use PassTransfer for every handover Whether it is a single password or a full set of logins at project delivery — create a link, send it through the usual channel, and the link expires once it is used. Simple, quick and secure.

Step 3: set expiry times that match the context For an urgent handover to a client: 24 hours. For a freelancer working with you this week: 7 days. The expiry date enforces automatically that old links do not keep floating around.

The GDPR dimension for agencies

Dutch agencies that process personal data on behalf of their clients are processors under the GDPR. They have to be able to demonstrate that they have taken appropriate technical measures. Passwords that grant access to systems holding client data are part of that story.

More and more clients — certainly larger organisations and government bodies — ask agencies for evidence of their security approach. A documented password policy, including the use of one-time secure links, is a concrete and demonstrable part of that.

Branded links for professional agencies

PassTransfer Pro lets agencies send secure links from their own subdomain in their own house style. Clients receive a link that looks like part of the agency's service, not like an unfamiliar external tool. That increases trust and reduces the chance of confusion or suspicion on the client's side.

For Dutch agencies that want to professionalise their way of working without a major internal overhaul, PassTransfer is a direct and effective solution.