As the internet becomes more sophisticated, cyberattacks on companies’ data and assets follows along. There’s one method for protecting against these attacks which has been around since the advent and popularization of the internet, however. A strong password can mean the difference between easy theft of your company’s ideas and the thwarting of cyber hackers.
The Importance of a Password
A great password is the first line of defense against hackers who are using a brute force method of entry into your systems. Passwords help protect your assets and information in your system by securing it behind a combination that only a handful of employees in your company will or should know.
Great passwords are authenticated by only a few at your company and should be used for each system, because the breach of one system could mean the breaching of several systems across your network. Your valuable information is probably stored online, and it should be a priority to protect this information first and foremost.
Creating a Strong Password
There are a few things you can do to ensure you’ve created a strong password for yourself and your company. First, you should actually avoid changing passwords every month to two months. It’s easy to think that constantly changing passwords will keep hackers on their toes but doing so only actually requires your employees to create poor and easily remembered passwords.
Next, make sure your passwords are a series of letters, numbers, and symbols. People tend to forget complex passwords, but they’re important for protecting against threats. Require that passwords used take advantage of numbers and symbols in the middle of the password, rather at the end. Studies have shown that most passwords end with a number or symbol, which is why your passwords should be varied and break this pattern.
You should also avoid using words, names, and common dates, as these can be easily targeted and taken advantage of. If need be, you can actually use a random password generator to create a completely unique and random set of numbers, letters, and symbols. Great passwords, in addition, are usually at least twenty characters long.
