Password Management:
Reusing passwords for multiple sites...
If one account is compromised, hackers can follow the rabbit hole and gain access to your information on multiple platforms with just that one password. NordPass reports that the average user has approximately 100 passwords in their arsenal for various platforms spanning social media to medical billing sites. How many sites are you reusing the same password for? And how detrimental would it be if just one of those sites were compromised?
Complex passwords...
The ideal password is a minimum of 10-20 characters which is a unique combination of upper and lower case letters, numbers, and symbols/special characters. The combination should not be a word in the dictionary or an obvious number/symbol substitution like He11o or Hell0.
Where & how to store your passwords...
It may seem like a secure way to remember your logins, but storing passwords on a readily accessible sticky note on your desk, a desktop WORD document, or your default browser password manager makes you susceptible to physical and cybercriminals. Instead, use a secure password management platform like Bitwarden or 1Password (our recommendations) to store your username and password credentials to help you log in automatically. The difference between them and your default browser or staying "always logged in?" A secure password manager will require a master password that is just as complex to gatekeep your catalog of logins for various sites. If that password is not the most complex, difficult-to-crack password in your arsenal, then the password manager becomes another security risk. We've all fallen victim to resetting our passwords simply because we forgot what they were. Utilizing a password manager eliminates this.
The most commonly forgotten passwords include those for your Apple ID, Instagram, Facebook, Gmail, and Google. See what else made the top 10 for the United States.
Password Security involves everyone...
When it comes to uniform password practices across your business, C-suite executives have just as much responsibility to maintain their login credentials as support staff do. With executives being optimal targets for phishing, impersonation, and social engineering, ensuring their passwords are secure is just as important. NordPass reports that the top passwords used by CEOs & C-Suite are 123456, password, 12345, 123456789, and qwerty. These passwords take less than a second for hackers to crack and access your data.
Enabling Multi-factor Authentication seems tedious, but can be the difference between keeping your data and losing it. If your password is compromised, a secondary security step can alert you to an unauthorized login. MFAs include biometric sign-ins, authenticator apps, and text or email codes that require you, the user, to manage sign-ins. Basic security questions are not enough to keep your sign-in protected.
Remind yourself to change your password at least every quarter. Just like routine maintenance on a car, it's crucial to inspect and address password issues regularly to minimize the window of opportunity cybercriminals have to target your credentials especially when data breaches and cybercrime are at an all-time high.
Click here to scroll to see the most common passwords across the globe over the last three years.