As more online threats present themselves all over the world, it’s more important than ever to make sure your passwords are secure and difficult to figure out.
This is especially the case for businesses that hold sensitive information about employees or customers, in which case a security breach can be a PR disaster that ruins your reputation while leaving others vulnerable to identity theft or other forms of exploitation.
Here are some tips to help make sure your passwords are managed and safe from prying eyes.
Choose a Good Password That Only Makes Sense to You
It’s necessary to avoid using common passwords that are easy for anyone to remember. This includes sequential passwords such as “123456” and others that are easy to predict. A surprising number of people also tend to use simple passwords such as “password” and “qwerty” that any hacker can decipher.
Ideally, you should create passwords that are both memorable to you and longer, at least 16 characters in length.
You should also take care to create a unique password for each account, as hackers can easily break into other accounts if you use the same username, email, or password across multiple platforms.
One method for creating a good, strong password is to think of an image, number, and word that’s unique to you. You can then combine them into a single password that only you are likely to recall. You’ll be able to keep your account consistently secure with a unique password that others will struggle to decode.
Use a Password Manager
Password managers have become particularly popular to use if there are too many accounts to keep track of. Using a password vault, you can keep all of your passwords and other login info consolidated in a single platform that’s secure, while making it easy to access any of your accounts.
A good password will encrypt all data stored to maximize security, while maintaining user-friendliness.
Use 2-Factor Authentication
While creating a secure password and using a password manager can help keep your information secure, two-factor authentication is another way to enhance security across all of your accounts.
This will entail accessing accounts through another method beyond simply entering basic login info. This could include confirming your identity via mobile passcodes, emails, or other outlets that only you can access.
Otherwise, you’ll leave your information vulnerable to intruders if they gain access to login information. Two-factor authentication will make sure that those attempts are futile without your confirmation.
Taking these steps can help make sure your passwords are always secure, whether you’re using them to access an email or a business platform that holds sensitive client information.
You can never be too careful when it comes to password creation and storage, and as the number of threats increases, you’ll do well to take security seriously.