The only thing between your sensitive data and a hacker is your password. Not having a strong password can significantly increase the chances of a data breach and having to put your disaster recovery plan in action. Too many people choose simple passwords because they are easy to remember. The problem is simple passwords are easy for a hacker to solve as well. The more complex a password is, the harder it will be for a cyber criminal to break into your files, and the safer your data will be. Here’s a quick guide on how to improve your password security and still be able to remember them.
Create Challenging Passwords
A good password contains between 12-16 characters with a combination of uppercase letters, lowercase letters, symbols and numbers. Numbers and letters shouldn’t be in sequence and the actual word should not be one found in the dictionary, a pronoun or simply a repeat of your username.
Many managed security services providers give the tip of creating a password using the first letter of each word in a given phrase. For example, for the phrase “I want to make my passwords as strong as possible in 2018,” your password will be “Iwtmmpasapi2018”. Not only is this password difficult for a hacker to solve, it will be easier for you to remember, as long as you remember the phrase.
Utilize Two-Step Authentication Features
Any time a service offers a two-step authentication option for logging in, take advantage of it. This is where you enter your password first, then you’ll receive a text message or an email to confirm the password. Two-step authentication is effective because if a hacker does solve your password, then you’ll get the second verification notice and can stop any activity in its tracks.
How To Easily Remember Strong Passwords
Managed security services providers offer several tips on how to remember passwords. One of them is using the old fashioned pen and paper to keep track of all login and password information. You could also type them out and store them on a USB drive or another external device you have easy access to.
Password managers are also valuable and convenient. These services allow you to store all of your passwords in a secure platform and it will actually retrieve the password for you when you login to a particular account. Of course, you have to have a strong password in order to get into the password manager or hackers will find a way in.
Single Point of Contact provides 24/7 computer support, so we are always here for you in the event of a data breach or any other IT issue. Most of the time, the main reason why a disaster recovery plan has to be put into action is because of a hacker cracking a password. Be sure to contact us for other tips on creating strong passwords and how we can help prevent a major IT disaster from occurring in your business.
