Let’s Talk About Password Security
Are you guilty of forgetting your password often? You are not the first or last person to forget.
With so many different passwords to remember it can be difficult to remember them all, and to avoid making some common mistakes.
In this article, we are going to give you helpful advice and tips on how to keep your digital life safe and secure.
7 Of The Most Common Password Mistakes
- Using the same password for all applications and websites
- Using an easy to remember, common password such as; “Passw0rd” or “password1234”
- Not using 8-12 characters, including letters, numbers and symbols
- Never updating passwords
- Ticking “remember me” when logging into websites
- Sharing passwords with colleagues via email
- Using the internet browser to remember all passwords
How Does A Password Become Compromised?
Cybercriminals should not be underestimated, because they have various tricks up their sleeve to get their hands on your credentials.
One of their tricks is to purchase passwords off the dark web, meaning if you have been using the same password for years, chances are it has been compromised, putting you at risk. However, If you have been wise enough to switch it up regularly then that leads them to their next trick…
They must crack them by brute force. The moral of the story is, the longer the password is, the safer it will be.
Keep your passwords at least 12 characters (minimum) plus a mix of uppercase, lowercase, numbers, letters, and symbols.
Switch your password up frequently, never using the same password for all log ins. Never use words from the dictionary or family/pet names.
Don’t think you can produce these in your own head alone? That is where password managers come in.
The Limitations Of A Browser Based Password Manager
Browser based password managers, otherwise known as rudimentary password managers are convenient but limited.
They are convenient for the way they remember your passwords to save you time next time you log in, and they can remember unlimited amounts.
The limitations, however, are the downside to using them. Because google has so many priorities, it doesn’t have the time to improve itself, or come up with strong random passwords like traditional managers do.
How A Good Password Manager Is The Solution
Most of us do not know what exactly makes a good password and are not able to remember many passwords at once, we are just not programmed that way!
A password manager is a great tool to use. Not only do they generate unique random passwords, but they also store them in a secure vault. They remember your passwords for you making it easier for our overworked minds, great for back up.
Benefits Of A Password Manager
In this part we will look at the benefits of a password manager. There are numerous versions of dedicated password managers out there, free versions, paid versions and self-hosted DIY versions.
Our choice and the one that we use here at Innovec, is Bitwarden.
Some of the benefits are listed below;
- They generate strong passwords for you, storing them in a secure vault/cloud
- Frequently checks if there has been and leaks of data, informing you straight away if you have been compromised, requesting a new generated password.
- You only need to remember ONE password to access the secure vault. It’s important to make this a strong one.
- Access your secure vault on any of your devices
- Very secure, always looking out for bugs and making the password manager hackerproof.
- Your account will use 2 Factor Authentication for protection
- Centralised control of passwords for your whole team
Solution Of Choice At Innovec
There is no limit to the amount of credentials Bitwarden will remember. It will also generate completely unique passwords for you, keeping all your accounts secure. All different packages are available, but Bitwarden is the perfect fit for small and medium sized businesses, ensuring all employees have satisfactory password practices.
Good password practices, along with multi-factor authentication, play an important part in keeping your business safe and secure.
How We Can Help You
We can have a quick chat at a time which suits you, to discuss your current cybersecurity practices and find the best fit password solution for you and your business. While having a chat, we can discuss more how Bitwarden password manager works.
Get in touch with our Ayrshire team for cybersecurity advice, helping secure your business.