Cybersecurity Series | Part II: Why Passwords Matter

Cybersecurity Series | Part 2

Why Passwords Matter

Not all passwords are created equal. And that’s not just because you literally create your own individual password. It’s important to be informed when creating passwords for classified information because passwords really are not created equal when it comes to cybersecurity.

Employees need to be aware that creating weak passwords endangers the entire company to cyber threats. Having easy-to-guess passwords (i.e. including your name, DOB, position title, etc) make it easy for hackers to brute force your password using several common hacking techniques, to name a few:  

• Dictionary attacks with and without capitalization
• Publicly available information on you
• Breached passwords from other websites you may of used

As you begin to educate yourself and your employees on the precautions to take around password security, consider these 5 tips to strengthen your password creation. 

5 Tips to Strengthen Password Security

1. Pair a solid password with multi-factor-authentication. G Suite, Office 365, and their free versions include this for free.
2. Don’t use a browser’s auto-fill function for passwords. Use an encrypted password management platform like Bitwarden or LastPass.
3. Use different passwords for different websites. Use a password management platform for tracking these.
4. Avoid obvious personal information such as your dog’s name, birth dates, sports teams, and street names. 
5. Use passphrases over passwords. “Dogjumpsoverthemoon13!” is easier to remember and stronger than short passwords with complex captilizations and characters. 

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