Max, Milo, Murphy? Bailey, Bella, Buddy?
If your dog is called any of these most popular dog names of the 21st century, and you are lax about password security, then it could take as little as 27 milliseconds for your password to be cracked.
Here are our top tips for password security – in the workplace and at home:
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A Good Hiding Place?
You know this without us telling you – but your password written on a scrap of paper and then kept under your keyboard at work is not – absolutely not – secure. It can be lost or dropped easily – or be picked up by anyone at your desk when you are not.
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A Sticky End
And while we are at it – the same goes for putting your password on a yellow sticky note and attaching it to the bottom of your monitor! Yes, we’ve seen it all ….
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Pipe Down The Pop Ups
Ignore the pop ups on internet browsers which ask if you want them to ‘remember this password for next time’. Incredibly easy and convenient …. But wholly insecure. What you need is an encrypted password manager.
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Celebrate The Unique
Using unique passwords is the most secure way to operate. The most secure passwords include random characters and symbols. ‘BestMum1982’ may be easy for you to remember – and to type in - but ‘H8*f£Mbx*’ is far more secure.
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Share and Share Alike
Your mum perhaps told you it was good to share – but not in the case of passwords. Don’t share your password across different sources. Even if you think your go-to password is unique, if it is cracked then you’ve given away the passkey to open anything you use that password for. Adopt the point above and use an encrypted password manager.
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Checks and Balances
Multi factor authentication (MFA) is simple and effective … and much more secure. Link your phone or email and have a confirmation passcode sent to you for entering. It’s an additional layer of protection for extra security.
Need some more advice or a secure solution for your passwords? Talk to at Clark IT.