Given that there is such a thing as World Password Day, it makes a lot of sense for businesses to consider the nature of their passwords carefully. Passwords are meant to restrict unauthorized access to accounts, documents, and devices. This means that they are worthless if at all people can quickly figure them out. Here are several steps as to how you can create a strong password tool and beat the hackers:
Setup a Longer Password
Usually, when setting up a password for some accounts like email, there is a minimum number of characters that should cut it for your password. However, other than that, the strength of your password has a lot to do with the length. The appropriate estimate should range between 8-15 characters long.
Don’t Use Dictionary Words
Hackers have a way to crack codes, and by using dictionary words, you make everything easier for them. A strong password is not one that has proper grammatical spelling or befits your favorite name on the dictionary. At the least of things, if you have to choose words from the dictionary, try to mix them up in an order that does not resonate with spoken language. For example, a password like ‘iloveyou’is not as strong as ‘loveeatcome.’ Also, avoid one-word passwords as they are the easiest to crack, and such a breach may end up undoing all the work your MySQL backup tool has achieved for your company.
Mix up the characters
Instead of just words or just numbers, mix up characters. It is much safer to have a combination of numbers, symbols, and letters for your password. This way, you can even use a word from the dictionary, as long as you add in other characters to mix things up. Example, ‘[email protected]#v3e!y*o&u’. While at it, mix up the capital letters and small letters, for extra complexity.
Keep away from your family and friends
Any idea to use your family member’s name for your passwords is a bad idea. A lot of the times when hackers are targeting your business, they most likely have done some research enough to gather some details about your close family. Therefore, avoid using names, even just for the fact that names are widespread and easy to figure out.
Avoid subsequent characters
To the best of your ability, avoid using characters that follow each other on the keyboard, the alphabet on numbers. For example, a password like ‘123456’ is a poor choice, and so is the case for ‘abcd’ or ‘qwerty.’
Using Two-Factor Authentication