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There is so much talk about business security that it’s easy for business owners to dismiss it as fear-mongering. However, with more than 70% of businesses facing cyber-attacks, your company must protect itself and its personal information to remain productive.

Security is an obvious concern for businesses today, and one that has grown as technology has advanced and virtual intruders have found new and different ways to threaten our companies.

Many different aspects go into modern business security, from backups and encryption to a firewall and data recovery, but one of the most often overlooked is also one of the most basic: passwords.

Seemingly everything has a password protecting it these days, in far too many cases serving as the first and last line of defense between intruders and your sensitive data. Accordingly, most cyber-attacks happen because of weak password security that gives criminals access to your business.

Here are some tips and key points to consider as it pertains to password protection within your place of business.

When Should I Use a Password?

We mentioned how it seems like everything has a password protecting it these days, and there’s a good reason for that. With such a significant reliance on phones, laptops, other devices, and so many online accounts in our everyday lives, we literally have much of our most personal data on us at all times, likely accessible if one or two passwords were to be discovered. Using a password on your computers, devices, and online transactions, keeps safe not only your device but your multiple accounts as well.

Do you really need a password for everything?

Generally speaking, if the password is being used to protect sensitive or confidential information or part of a path toward that information, then creating strong passwords is essential. Some information will require more intense security measures than others, but any password is always better than no password.

What makes a password secure?

This answer was simple some years ago but has changed over time. It used to be enough to use as a password common words that are easy to remember, such as your pets name, your phone number, or your birthday. Unfortunately, as intruders have become more sophisticated, social media and web passwords have had to follow and come up with novel ways of protecting your data.

Password Best-Practice Guidelines

Today, simple words will no longer be enough to deter cybercriminals. A secure password must meet strict criteria.

Length

A secure password should be at least 12 to 15 characters long. Make your password with various long characters, easy for you to remember but difficult for others to guess. The longer the password, the more combinations a hacker has to try, significantly increasing the time it would take to crack. By this time, the IT department will have noticed the multiple hacking attempts and will have blocked the cyber-criminals.

Complexity

Include a mix of uppercase letters, lowercase letters, numbers, and special characters (such as !, @, #, etc.). Upper and lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols create a complexity that enhances your online security and makes it harder for a hacker to guess your password.

Unpredictability

Avoid using predictable patterns and sequences. For instance, “123456”, “password”, or “qwerty” are easily easy to guess. We understand that these combinations are easier to remember, yet they don’t provide strong protection. Also, steer clear of easily accessible personal information like birthdays, anniversaries, and words or phrases that contain names of family members and pets.

Uniqueness

Each account should have its own unique password. If one account gets compromised and you use the same password elsewhere, all those accounts become vulnerable. This means that if a password for one of your accounts gets attacked, you will need to change the password on all accounts using the compromised password.

No dictionary words

Don’t use complete words found in the dictionary, especially if they’re common or can be associated with you. Hackers often use dictionary attacks, where they systematically enter every word in the dictionary as a password.

Memorability

Despite all these rules, a good password should be something you can remember but hard to guess. Using a phrase or a combination of words (with irregular characters and numbers) can make it both complex and memorable. For example, “Ilike2Eat@pple$!\”. You can use personal information as passwords, but they should be combined with special characters and complex symbols for maximum security.

Regular Updates

Regularly changing your passwords can help protect against ongoing unauthorized access. However, changing passwords too frequently can lead to weaker passwords or the reuse of old passwords, so balance is key.

Avoid Common Substitutions

Hackers are aware of common substitutions (like “pa$$word”). Don’t rely solely on these to create complexity.

Use two-factor authentication

Two-factor authentication provides an added layer of security when accessing an account, and should be utilized in more sensitive cases. You can set it up to have a code texted, called, or emailed to you, incorporate a security question, and more to ensure you and only you can gain access to this information.

The combination of 2FA and SSO maximizes password security and is the best answer to the common question, how can I make passwords secure?

Password management

There are several password management tools you can leverage to auto-generate strong passwords and then store them all in one place for easy and secure storage (just make sure you remember the password to your password manager profile). This keeps you from reusing the same password across all or many of your accounts  something many of us have been guilty of to some degree.

Don’t be afraid to use a different complex password for everything. This will be the most secure method, and you can always reset if you forget. It’s better to forget and reset than to allow an unwanted entity to access your information.

Recap

So, to recap:

• Password-protect anything you don’t want anyone else to have immediate access to
• Use long, complex passwords
• Never use the same password twice
• Use two-factor authentication for an added layer of security
• Use a password management tool to safely store your passwords

Remember, even the strongest password can be compromised through phishing attacks or data breaches.

Therefore, your business must stay vigilant for suspicious activity and implement a policy of strong passwords with other security measures like two-factor authentication (2FA). If remembering multiple complex passwords is challenging, consider using reputable password managers . These tools can generate and store strong passwords for you, requiring you to remember only one strong master password.

Protect Your Passwords and Business Data with Corporate Technologies

Corporate Technologies delivers all-encompassing support to ensure every aspect of your business IT needs is effectively managed.

Our services include:

• Advanced security services for you and your clients.
• Cloud solutions to help you keep track of your business digital assets while boosting accessibility and reducing your hardware footprint.
• Backups and protection to prepare against the unexpected.
• Personalized onsite support to achieve face-to-face resolutions for any IT issue.

Contact us today to take total control of your business IT needs and to learn more about the added benefits of our Technology Advantage  program!