It’s Password Awareness Week… 12 Simple Steps to Create Secure Passwords

Did you know that May 5 is World Password Day, it’s the official day to check the security of your passwords? The entire week is, “Password Awareness Week,” and that is the reason Catalyst IT has sent out social media post all week with tidbits on ways your business can keep your passwords secure from Cybersecurity criminals. Miss out on our post, then follow our Facebook page.

Most businesses are heavily reliant on technology and it can undeniably give your business an advantage in increasingly competitive markets, there are many areas to be aware of. One is cybersecurity, the attention given to electronic criminal acts over the past years is one reason password protection is a great concern for all business.

Password protection is the best place to start if you want to ramp up your cybersecurity. Setting a password to secure an entity’s data is called password protection. Only those with passwords can access information or accounts once data is password-protected. However, because of the frequent use of passwords, people tend to overlook their significance and make careless mistakes, which could lead to breaches in security.

This makes it imperative for businesses to devise strategies to educate employees about best practices when using passwords. The following are 12 simple steps to keep in mind when securing your business environment:

6 Password “Don’ts”

Protect the confidentiality of your passwords by following these six password “don’ts”:

1. Don’t write passwords on sticky notes

Although you may feel that writing down passwords improves password protection and makes it more difficult for someone to steal your passwords online, it can make it easier for someone to steal your passwords locally.

2. Don’t save passwords to your browser

This is because web browsers are terrible at protecting passwords and other sensitive information like your name and credit card number. Web browsers can easily be compromised and a wide range of malware, browser extensions and software can extract sensitive data from them.

3. Don’t iterate your password (for example, PowerWalker1 to PowerWalker2)

Although this is a common practice among digital users, it is unlikely to protect against sophisticated cyberthreats. Hackers have become far too intelligent and can crack iterated passwords in the blink of an eye.

4. Don’t use the same password across multiple accounts

If you do so, you are handing cybercriminals a golden opportunity to exploit all your accounts.

5. Don’t capitalize the first letter of your password to meet the “one capitalized letter” requirement

Out of habit, most of us tend to capitalize the first letter of our passwords to conform with the “one capitalized letter” requirement. However, hackers are aware of this, making it easy for them to guess the capitalized letter’s position.

6. Don’t use “!” to conform with the symbol requirement

However, if you must use it, don’t place it at the end of your password. Placing it anywhere else in the sequence makes your password more secure.

6 Passwords “Do’s”

Protect the confidentiality of your passwords by following these six password “do’s”:

1. Create long, phrase-based passwords that exchange letters for numbers and symbols

For instance, if you choose “Honey, I shrunk the kids,” write it as “h0ney1$hrunkth3k!d$.” This makes your password harder for hackers to crack.

2. Change critical passwords every three months

Passwords protecting sensitive data must be handled with caution because there is a lot at stake if they are compromised. If you use a password for a long time, hackers may have enough time to crack it. Therefore, make sure you change your critical passwords every three months.

3. Change less critical passwords every six months

This necessitates determining which password is crucial and which is not. In any case, regardless of their criticality, changing your passwords every few months is a good practice.

4. Use multifactor authentication

It’s your responsibility to do everything in your power to keep nefarious cybercriminals at bay. One of the best approaches is to barricade them with multiple layers of authentication.

5. Always use passwords that are longer than eight characters and include numbers, letters and symbols

The more complicated things are for hackers, the better.

6. Use a password manager

A password manager can relieve the burden of remembering a long list of passwords, freeing up time for more productive tasks.

Need assistance with getting a password manager, contact Catalyst it at 877-843-9611 or click the contact us link to be directed to our page for support. Adhering to password best practices requires constant vigilance and effort on your part. As a result, it is best to work with an experienced IT Management Provider like us who can help you boost your security and put your mind at ease. Contact Catalyst IT for a no-obligation consultation, we’re your “Proactive IT Management” partner in Iowa, South Dakota, Minnesota and Nebraska.