Become A Secure Password Professional

For almost a decade, poor password management has been the primary cause of data breaches. Each week, one million credentials are stolen. The use of stolen login credentials is the second-most common method of breach. Eighty-five percent of data breaches contain a personnel component, such as phishing, stolen credentials, or human error.

External parties often carry out these cases of hacked data for financial benefit. According to the 2022 Verizon Data Breach Investigations Report, when targeting businesses and organizations, hostile actors frequently gain access to networks via weak or stolen passwords. 82% of basic web application security breaches are accomplished by stealing credentials, such as passwords.

Password Security Threats

Compromised passwords provide attackers with access to your most personal accounts. Naturally, you’ll want to create a password that hackers are unlikely to uncover.

The usual user will generate passwords to deceive human hackers. This was once a really smart way to stop data theft. A criminal would utilize any information they could find about you, as well as typical password patterns, to guess yours. You used to be able to get around security by simply changing the characters in your passwords. However, hackers are bound to take note.

Cybercriminals nowadays utilize sophisticated technology to obtain your passwords. This is significant since many individuals strive to make passwords difficult to guess but do not consider efficient methods. The software guesses your passwords and is designed for managing innovative user behavior.

Here are some tactics that hackers use to gain access to your accounts:

• Dictionary-based hacks make use of an automated program that combines dictionary words in predictable ways. Because users make passwords easy to remember, some hackers attempt to imitate evident patterns.
• Social media and publicly shared personal information are used to personally target you. Names, birthdays, and even favorite sports team names are frequently used as passwords by users. Much of this information may be discovered by just exploring your social network.
• Brute-force assaults employ an automated computer to try every conceivable character combination until it finds your password. Brute force, unlike dictionary hacks, struggles with long passwords. Short passwords, on the other hand, can be easily obtained within hours in some circumstances.
• Phishing is the practice of a scammer pressing you to provide the hacker with your money or vital information. They present themselves as respectable, usually as a reputable organization or someone you may know. Scammers might get in touch with you through calls, texts, emails, or messages on social media. They can, however, utilize fake apps, websites, and social media profiles.
• Existing data breaches have already revealed a large number of passwords and other sensitive data. Companies are increasingly being hacked, and hackers steal all of the data to sell it online. This is especially dangerous if you’ve reused old passwords, as outdated accounts are more likely to be compromised.

What is a strong password?

If a brute-force assault cannot guess or break a password, it is considered strong. To find the correct password, hackers utilize computers to attempt various combinations of letters, numbers, and symbols. Modern computers can crack short passwords made of merely letters and digits in seconds. 

That means that advancements in technology lead to advancements in the arsenals of malevolent hackers. As a result, strong passwords are made up of a mix of uppercase and lowercase characters, numbers, and special symbols like punctuation. Although we recommend longer ones, however, having a password that is at least 12 characters long minimizes your chances of falling victim to hacking.

Overall, the following are the key features of a secure and strong password:

• Has at least 12 characters. It is preferable to have a more complicated password.
• Upper- and lower-case characters, numbers, and special symbols are used. Passwords with mixed characters are more difficult to crack.
• There are no noteworthy keyboard shortcuts.
• Is not based on your data.
• Passwords are different for each account.

You’ll often be prompted to enter a specific number of characters or digits while creating an internet account. Some may even block you from creating a “weak password,” which is typically a single word or number combination that is simple to guess. Even if you’re not advised to create a strong password, it’s critical to do so anytime you create a new online account or change the password on an existing one.

How to Easily Spot a Weak Password

Making memorable yet challenging-to-guess passwords is crucial. Learning a few fundamental skills will make it simple to create secure, memorable passwords. Making them can be enjoyable, and the payback in terms of greater safety is enormous. Even if you aren’t reminded, you should generate a strong password whenever you create a new online account or change the password for an existing one.

Makes use of everyday terms: “Password” is the most commonly used password. It’s also embarrassingly weak, as are ‘default’ and ‘blank’. These are basic terms that a user can quickly guess. Humans, however, are not your main concern. Programs that use automated databases can conduct a dictionary attack on your system, readily detecting the password.

It is simple to recognize: Using a last name + year of birth combo is a frequent example. Marshall1968 – This example may be easily hacked despite just using 12 characters and containing letters, numbers, and a name that may be connected to you or your family, along with other identifying information like your birth year.

How to Keep a Strong Password Secure

So you’ve decided on a password that’s the perfect length, obscure, and a combination of characters, digits, and case. Though not quite a complete password security, you’re on the right route. 

• Keep your passwords unique: If you use the same password for shopping, email, and other sensitive personal data websites (or even a community website in your area), and one of those websites has a breach, you’ve increased the probability that the other services will also be compromised.
• Never write down your passwords: Although it can be tempting to track passwords using conventional methods, particularly in the workplace, they are quickly uncovered.
• Use a Password Manager: It can be difficult to remember so many complex passwords. Furthermore, having a ton of sticky notes with passwords on them all over your office is the last thing you want. By keeping all of your online login information in one safe place, a password manager may help you stay safer online and give you a quick, safe method to access all of your accounts and websites.
• Keep your passwords private: This one should go without saying; if you must share, make the necessary changes right now.
• For strong passwords, use a password generator: A password generator is an ideal tool for coming up with strong password suggestions quickly and effortlessly if you don’t have time to think of them yourself. A random string of characters will be produced using a password generator. Copy it and use it as a password for your device, email, social media account, or anything else that needs secret access.