As online services continue to grow, we all have a number of online accounts to access on a regular basis. From online bank accounts to website login details, it seems like we gain another login to remember every month.
Keeping track of all the passwords can become a bit of a challenge. So What can we do help reduce the burden, stay safe and make life a little easier at the same time?
What You’re Currently Doing Wrong
Using the same passwords across all your accounts.
Many of us choose to simply reuse a common password which while easy to remember, makes all your accounts easier compromise. With one single failure in your security from any of your services, it could make it extremely easy for an attacker to gain access to all your accounts.
Writing Your Passwords Down In A Little Black Book.
So many people have a little black book they write everything down in. Why? Because it is easy to do. It is obvious, that if your little black book falls into the wrong hands, you could quickly get into lots of trouble. Same goes for word documents or spreadsheets, they are not a good idea either, even if password protected.
You current passwords are weak.
When creating a new account, we go for the easy options. It’s human nature. Minimum 6 characters? Ok lets go with that! When we are offered secure auto-generated passwords, how many people go with it? Not very many. Nobody wants to try and remember “$Ag!o04%!93op83!”.
So What’s The Solution?
The best way to securely manage all your passwords is to use a reputable password manager, such as LastPass. Password managers store all your passwords in an encrypted secure container and you can access them with a single master passphrase.
When creating new accountant password managers can also help you create secure passwords. You can access your passwords from anywhere and even on the go. An app on your phone, or even a browser extension that allows you to quickly and securely login in to your accounts.
But That’s One Single Point Of Entry?
Yes it is and that can seem weak, but firstly you ensure that the master password is very strong. Secondly, there is another step you implement to ensure access is even more secure.
2-Factor Authentication or Multi-Factor Authentication is a method that is used to ensure the correct person is accessing your passwords. While this sounds complicated, its actually quite simple.
For example, once you have entered your secure password, to confirm it is really you, you get a SMS text message with a code to verify login. They way even if someone does get your password, its unlikely they’ll have you phone and the additional security to access the messgaes on your phone.
So Where Do You Get Password Managers?
There are a number of free password manager available Some such as of the more popular ones are Lastpass, KeePass or 1Password. Most of these services will offer a free version with premium variants which allow for more extensible functionality.
There are also business versions which offer enterprise or team based features you may find benefit how you work.
Why We Wrote This Post
We work with many clients who all have passwords to remember and we are often asked for recommendations on what to do. We are also the first port of call when our clients can’t remember their passwords 🙂
We’ve seen some shockingly insecure passwords and we can’t stress highly enough the importance of taking some action to keep yourselves safe and secure.
If you do nothing else, implement some kind of 2-factor authentication on your accounts so that you have an extra layer of security and try not to use the same password on all your online accounts.