In the last few years, biggest brands have suffered because of security breaches and data thefts. Cybersecurity is not for large organizations alone; it concerns every enterprise. One of the common ways in which hackers infiltrate systems, networks and apps is by using a backdoor password. A smart way of reducing vulnerabilities and security concerns is by creating good passwords. Unfortunately, employees often don’t have enough knowledge on creating strong passwords, and they are also the weakest link in fixing the perimeters of cybersecurity.
Follow the basic rules
- Go for a long password. There was a time when passwords with 8 characters were more than enough to keep hackers away. Hackers and cybercriminals are constantly finding ways to hack passwords, and long passwords, for obvious reasons, are hard to crack. At the very least, ensure that your passwords are at least 12 characters long.
- Use a mix of characters. A strong password should have uppercase letters, lowercase letters, and special characters, and if possible, numbers too. For experienced hackers with years of experience, cracking a password with just lowercase letters could be a matter of minutes.
- Change all default passwords. Default passwords are always prone to hacking attempts, and eventually, users don’t tend to remember them. Ensure that the username and password for access for every account is unique and not same as set by the system. Never reuse passwords for other accounts.
Use a password management tool
Remembering long passwords can be a real challenge for your employees, and therefore, using a password management tool is absolutely necessary. There are various tools for the purpose, but consider reliability and transparency when you select one for your enterprise. Password management tools make it easy to access, retrieve passwords when required.
Train your employees
Employees need to know the risks involved with passwords, and they must be taught on safe browsing practices. Beyond forced attempts to hack into a system, hackers often use social engineering to get backdoor entry into systems. Ensure that your team is aware of their role in creating, saving and storing important passwords.
Final word
Finally, consider using multi-factor authentication and lockout feature. With lockout feature, attempts to log into the same account with wrong passwords will be thawed, while an additional level of authentication can be useful in preventing direct access to data and IT resources. Check online to find the best password management tools.