In observance of Cyber Security Awareness Month, HoganTaylor Technology will provide articles and other informational materials throughout October. Cyber Security Awareness Month was created by the National Cyber Security Alliance & the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to increase awareness of information security issues. This is the second year HoganTaylor Technology is participating in Cyber Security Awareness Month.
The internet has been a part of our lives for nearly 35 years. To put that in perspective, most people under the age of 40 may not even remember a time without it. Passwords have been around even longer and yet so many people still find it challenging to practice good password management. Below are five pointers to help protect your accounts with effective passwords. When choosing a password, try to incorporate as many of the below tips as you can for safety.
- Consider a Passphrase
Hackers use multiple methods to access your accounts, several are able to generate passwords based on information they can find online or through social engineering. The truth is the longer the password the better as it will take longer for their tools to generate the password. But to be sure, try using a passphrase. Within the passphrase, don’t use a common phrase, but rather random words that don’t make sense together and use spaces and special characters.
- Don't Repeat Passwords
When you reuse your passwords, you put all of your accounts at risk. If your password is part of a data breach, hackers will attempt to reuse that password to access your other accounts. You can protect your accounts by making your passwords for each account are different.
- Utilize a Password Manager
It can be challenging to manage separate passwords for each of your accounts, and this is where password managers come in. These tools are very useful in keeping your passwords safe and secure. Some password managers also have family plans where you can give access to others in your family the accounts you need them to be able to access. One of my favorite features they offer is the ability to auto fill the username and passwords into systems that I want to access.
- Change Passwords Regularly
It is always best practice to change your passwords regularly and the longer and more complex the password, the longer it will be for a hacker to guess. A data breach could still put your account at risk so changing your password regularly with help to protect your accounts.
- Enable Multi-Factor Authentication
The last layer of protection is to enable multi-factor authentication on all of your accounts that allow it. This layer of protection makes it harder for an attacker to access your account without having access to something such as your mobile phone or email account.
If you implement all five of these recommendations, you can be confident that you have made it even more challenging for an attacker to access your accounts using your password.
About HoganTaylor Technology
HoganTaylor Technology is a newly formed subsidiary of HoganTaylor, encompassing all of the Firm’s information technology service offerings including managed services, outsourced CIO and technology solutions, cybersecurity services, and IT strategy and assessments. If your organization needs assistance in evaluating its technology strategies and goals, please reach out to the author of this article, Adam Prichard, or a HoganTaylor Technology professional to discuss any questions you may have.
INFORMATIONAL PURPOSE ONLY. This content is for informational purposes only. This content does not constitute professional advice and should not be relied upon by you or any third party, including to operate or promote your business, secure financing or capital in any form, obtain any regulatory or governmental approvals, or otherwise be used in connection with procuring services or other benefits from any entity. Before making any decision or taking any action, you should consult with professional advisors.
