{"id":831,"date":"2019-04-14T08:35:26","date_gmt":"2019-04-14T13:35:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cmitsolutions.com\/boston-ma-1089\/?p=831"},"modified":"2023-03-23T23:04:12","modified_gmt":"2023-03-24T04:04:12","slug":"4-key-steps-for-securing-your-passwords","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cmitsolutions.com\/boston-ma-1089\/blog\/4-key-steps-for-securing-your-passwords\/","title":{"rendered":"4 Key Steps For Securing Your Passwords"},"content":{"rendered":"

Passwords aren\u2019t easy, they aren\u2019t very much fun, but they certainly are not something you should worry about. Since passwords are required for accessing nearly everything online today, it should be no surprise that 81% of hacking-related computer breaches leveraged either stolen and\/or weak passwords<\/a>. Poor password practices are a huge security and privacy risk for you, your company and your customers. Unfortunately, they are incredibly important and poor password practices are often the starting point for hackers breaking into your computers and devices.<\/p>\n

Here are a few ways to improve your password best practices and security:<\/h3>\n

Stop Sharing Passwords<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

Sharing passwords with others\u2014i.e. your spouse, your administrative assistant, or inadvertently by writing them on sticky notes\u2014is a very bad idea. Never share your passwords with anyone, stop displaying them in plain sight, or share them in a spreadsheet filed on your desktop. If you need to share a password for any reason, be prepared to change it immediately after to prevent fraudulent use. Any time you share your passwords you put your personal information, your company\u2019s proprietary data and your customers information at risk.<\/p>\n

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Use More Than One<\/span> <\/strong><\/h2>\n

Don\u2019t use the same password for multiple accounts. According to a study by Last Pass, 91 percent know there is a risk when reusing passwords, but 61 percent continue to do so anyways<\/a>. <\/strong>If one account is hacked, then all of your accounts are now at risk. Of course it is faster to use the same easy-to remember password over and over again. However, hackers also know and expect this so they\u2019ll test successful passwords repeatedly to see if they can access more accounts and steal more of your information.<\/p>\n

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Try A Pass Phrase<\/span><\/h2>\n

When creating a password, remember that longer is stronger. Every extra character you add to your password makes it more difficult for hackers to crack your password<\/a>. Instead of using a password with numbers and symbols that can be hard to remember, think about a pass phrase\u2014several unrelated words that are easy for you to remember but harder to guess. For example: myhorseisfasterthanaplane. The key is to make the pass phrase something you can easily remember so you will not be tempted to write it down.<\/p>\n

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Consider A Password Manager<\/span><\/h2>\n

Now that you have finally started using a strong and unique password for every account \u2014 how can you possibly remember them all? Try the use of a password manager. This is an app or web-based software that allows you to securely store multiple usernames and passwords, is an excellent cyber security best practice tool. These top \u2013rated password managers<\/a> help streamline and securely encrypt the login process across all of your personal and business accounts.<\/p>\n

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Creating secure passwords is just one step in a smart online security strategy<\/a>. At CMIT Solutions, we protect passwords and data so that you can concentrate on operating and growing your business \u2014 without worrying about cyber attacks and data breaches. Contact us today<\/a> at 781-350-3438 or via email to info@cmitne.com for more information.<\/p>\n

This post was updated from May 2019.<\/p>\n

Written by: Chris Zambuto<\/a> | Chief Information Security Officer @CMITBostonCambridge<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Passwords aren\u2019t easy, they aren\u2019t very much fun, but they certainly are…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":259,"featured_media":832,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[28],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-831","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-cybersecurity-blog"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t