An important aspects of keeping your business secure is ensuring that your passwords are strong
As we all become increasingly reliant on digital systems, ensuring that our online assets are well protected is more important than ever. Unfortunately, poor password hygiene practices by some employees can leave businesses vulnerable to hackers.
Cybercriminals are always looking for new ways to break into business systems, and they often succeed due to weak passwords. Weak or stolen passwords were responsible for nearly 50% of cyberattacks last year.* This highlights the need for small businesses to take password security seriously and implement strong password policies.
Fortunately, there are a few best practices that you can follow to protect your business. Here are the top 10 most common passwords available on the dark web that you should avoid at all costs:
- Password
- 123456789
- Qwerty
- 123456
- 12345
- 12345678
- 111111
- 1234567
- 123123
- Qwerty123
Password best practices
When your team is aware of password best practices, they can significantly ramp up your cybersecurity.
Avoid reusing passwords on multiple accounts
There is no such thing as a “safe” password. All passwords are susceptible to being hacked, regardless of how complex or challenging they may be to remember. The best way to protect your accounts is to use different passwords. That way, even if a hacker does gain access to one of your accounts, they will not be able to use that same password to access your other accounts.
Another important tip is to avoid writing down your passwords on paper. If a hacker were to find this piece of paper, they would have access to all your accounts.
Make use of two-factor authentication (2FA)
There are many ways to protect your online accounts, but one of the best is two-factor authentication (2FA). With 2FA, even if someone knows your password, they would still need a code from your phone or another device to hack into your account.
While 2FA is not perfect, it’s a robust security measure that can help keep your accounts safe. So if you haven’t already, we recommend beginning to use 2FA for all of your accounts. And if you do use 2FA, be sure to have a different and unique password for each account.
Implement single sign-on (SSO)
There are many benefits to using a single sign-on (SSO) solution for your password needs. With SSO, you only have to remember one set of credentials to access your online accounts, which can be a convenience, especially if you have a lot of different accounts.
However, it’s important to remember that all of your accounts are only as secure as your SSO password. So, using a unique password for your SSO login is vital. That way, even if one of your other passwords is compromised, your other accounts will remain safe.
Don’t use the information available on your social media
Don’t use the information available on your social media
Many people use social media to connect with friends and family, stay up to date on current events, or share their thoughts and experiences with others. However, social media can also provide valuable personal information for criminals.
Avoid using information easily obtainable on your social media accounts when creating passwords. Cyber hackers will guess your passwords by using names, birth dates, and personal details. Taking this precaution can help keep access to your accounts safe and secure.
Use a password manager
Using a password manager is one of the most important things to keep your passwords safe. A password manager helps you create and store strong passwords for all your online accounts. Password managers can also help you keep track of your passwords and ensure they are unique for each account.
An IT service provider can help you
As cyberattacks become more sophisticated, you may be unable to devote sufficient time and effort to combat them. However, as an IT service provider, we can ensure your team creates strong passwords, stores them securely, and changes them regularly.
Schedule a no-obligation consultation with us today to learn more about how we can help protect you from poor password hygiene.
