Last year, we witnessed one of the most devastating cybersecurity breaches in history, that locked down whole networks and exploited important consumer data across the world. The basic cybersecurity measures that consumers and enterprises found reliable in the past aren’t no longer the best ways to stay afloat in the modern threat landscape.
In the spate of multiple major security breaches, most of the checkpoints commonly used to aid our digital lives, including email addresses, passwords, personal details and even Social Security numbers, are no longer private or secure. What this translates into is that they are no longer a reliable means to confirm our online credentials.
- The Ideal Password
While the eventual death of the password has long been heralded, they continue to be a common means of access to most systems and so must be treated with utmost care. In the past, the rule of thumb for the perfect password was complexity, with a minimum of eight characters in a combination letters, numbers as well as special characters. However in view of recent incidents, it’s suggested that even longer passphrases (of at least 20 characters) — several unrelated words made up and sequenced together — are easier to remember and thus more hard to crack.
- Digital Storage
Repeating or reusing passwords is one of the worst things anyone can do because if one incident gets compromised, an attacker gains access to your other accounts as well. With memorizing different passwords for each and every account virtually impossible, it’s adviseable to use a password manager, that can acts as a locker for multiple other passwords and can also be used to generate stronger passwords. Thus, instead of managing dozens of passwords on your own, you’ll just have to remember the one key to your digital vault. This works better than memorizing multiple passwords or writing them down on your phone notepad.
- Security Questions
Most security questions are related to information that can easily be found online, like your mother’s maiden name, the city of your birth/graduation, etc. So it’d be wise to either select questions that are more arbitrary, such as your favorite artist or movie, and even use fake answers for these questions so that only you know the answer.
- Double Dipping
Most services nowadays, especially major email providers and banking sites, incorporate two-factor authentication (2FA), that adds an extra security checkpoint. This is executed on certain occasions, such as logging in from a new location or device. The second step can be an extra question, an email, or a phone call, but the most popular instance is a short code sent to your registered phone via SMS. Opt for such provisions where available and add an extra security measure to avoid risk.
- Biometrics
The race to replace the password is on, and we’re headed to a future where even the best practices listed above are sure to become outdated. Instead Biometric authentication measures that use physical characteristics, such as fingerprints or eyeballs, will gain use as a means of protection. At present we can use our fingerprints to unlock our mobile devices in addition to a lock code, while yet others are using voice signatures and facial recognition.
Consumers should take into account the above tips to stay on top of the modern threat landscape. These guidelines as well as some outside-the-box common sense that can be of much help in an age where personal data is no longer private.
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