{"id":124540,"date":"2022-05-04T12:57:00","date_gmt":"2022-05-04T16:57:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/rbach.net\/?p=124540"},"modified":"2022-05-04T12:57:00","modified_gmt":"2022-05-04T16:57:00","slug":"world-password-day-tips-and-tricks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/rbach.net\/index.php\/world-password-day-tips-and-tricks\/","title":{"rendered":"World Password Day Tips and Tricks"},"content":{"rendered":"\r\n

\"World<\/a>World Password Day<\/strong> is May 5th. It\u2019s the perfect time to educate yourself on best practices<\/strong> to build better online behaviors<\/strong> around password use.<\/span> World Password Day is meant to remind everyone about the importance of protecting themselves through strong passwords.
<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Under lock and key<\/h3>\r\n

\"ProofPoint<\/a>Creating strong passwords offers greater security for minimal effort<\/strong>. Proofpoint<\/a> uses the example of a padlock. You can buy a small padlock for less than a dollar\u2014but you shouldn\u2019t count on it to protect anything of value. A thief could probably pick a cheap lock without much effort, or simply break it. And yet, many people use similarly flimsy passwords to \u201clock-up\u201d their most valuable assets, including money and confidential information.

Fortunately, everyone can learn how to make and manage stronger passwords. It\u2019s an easy way to strengthen security both at work and at home.<\/p>\r\n

What Makes a Password \u2018Strong\u2019?<\/h3>\r\n

\"What<\/a>Let\u2019s say you need to create a new password that\u2019s at least 12 characters long, and includes numerals, symbols, and upper- and lowercase letters<\/strong>. You think of a word you can remember, capitalize the first letter, add a digit, and end with an exclamation point. The result: Applejacks1!

Unfortunately, hackers have sophisticated password-breaking tools that can easily defeat passwords based on dictionary words<\/strong> (like \u201capplejacks\u201d) and common patterns, such as capitalizing the first letter.<\/p>\r\n

Increasing a password\u2019s complexity, randomness, and length can make it more resistant to hackers\u2019 tools<\/strong>. For example, an eight-character password could be guessed by an attacker in less than a day, but a 12-character password would take two weeks. A 20-character password would take 21 centuries.<\/p>\r\n

Uniqueness Matters<\/h3>\r\n

Many people reuse passwords across multiple accounts, and attackers take advantage of this risky behavior<\/strong>. If an attacker obtains one password\u2014even a strong one\u2014they can often use it to access other valuable accounts.\"\"
Here\u2019s a real-life example: Ten years ago, Becky joined an online gardening forum. She also created an online payment account and used the same password. She soon forgot about the gardening forum, but someone accessed her payments account years later and stole a large sum of money.

Becky didn\u2019t realize the gardening forum had been hacked, and that users\u2019 login credentials had been leaked online. An attacker probably tried reusing Becky\u2019s leaked password on popular sites\u2014and eventually got lucky.<\/p>\r\n

Guarding Your Passwords<\/h3>\r\n
    \r\n
  1. Don\u2019t write them down<\/strong> \u2013 Many make the mistake of writing passwords on post-it notes and leaving them in plain sight. Even if you hide your password, someone could still find it. Similarly, don\u2019t store your login information in a file on your computer, even if you encrypt that file.<\/li>\r\n
  2. Don\u2019t share passwords<\/strong> \u2013 You can\u2019t be sure someone else will keep your credentials safe. At work, you could be held responsible for anything that happens when someone is logged in as you.\"\"<\/a><\/li>\r\n
  3. Don\u2019t save login details in your browser<\/strong> \u2013 Some browsers store this information in unsafe ways, and another person could access your accounts if they get your device.<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n

    Password tips for family and friends<\/h3>\r\n

    Consider sharing what you\u2019ve learned about passwords and ask family and friends about their cybersecurity knowledge or experiences.<\/p>\r\n

      \r\n
    1. Never reuse passwords<\/strong> \u2013 Create a unique, strong password for each account or device. This way, a single hacked account doesn\u2019t endanger other accounts.<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n

      \"Create<\/strong><\/p>\r\n

      \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\r\n

      2. Create complex, long passwords<\/strong> \u2013 Passwords based on dictionary words, pets\u2019 names, or other personal information can be guessed by attackers.<\/p>\r\n

      3. Use a password manager<\/strong> \u2013 These tools can securely store and manage your passwords and generate strong new passwords. Some can also alert you if a password may have been compromised.

      <\/p>\r\n

      How you can help Ukraine!<\/a><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\r\n

      Related article<\/strong><\/p>\r\n