Strong passwords are a good defense against persistent cyber attackers but weak passwords can be the entryway to confidential data and operating systems.
While there are so many types of passwords that are easy for hackers to guess, here are four quick examples of ones to avoid and tips for picking a strong password.
1. Don’t Use Significant Dates
Birthdays and anniversary dates are definitely days that are memorable and hard to forget (hopefully) but that kind of information is easily accessible on the internet. So many people share their birthdays or anniversaries on social media that it would only take a quick search to discover that information.
2. “Password” is NOT a Password
It seems pretty obvious but so many people will use “password” as their actual login password. Out of apparent convenience, or even laziness, this is like an invitation for a hacker to steal your information. This is not a strong password. Actually, it’s almost like not having any password at all.
3. Obvious Sequence of Numbers or Letters
“ABC is as easy as 123” is true in the world of cybersecurity and data protection. Using a predictable sequence of letters or numbers is a risk that isn’t worth taking when it comes to creating a complex password.
4. Your Website Name
Using the name of the website or service as a password is not a great idea. Don’t set your Gmail password to “Google.” It’s a simple tactic that people use without considering the risk. Some services won’t even allow you to choose such a weak password.
Just Pick a Tool or Trick to Generate Your Strong Password
You can think of a memory device to create strong, original passwords. Or you can use one of the popular password managers that do the hard work for you.
These password managers can create and remember complex passwords. Password managers are easy-to-use tools that can immediately help all your employees to build better security habits and awareness.
Strong passwords are an easy, free way to boost security at your company. Make sure your company password policy is updated and following InfoSec best practices.
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