We all know that passwords are a pain, we try to vary passwords but generally you're using the same one for different accounts, am I right?
But passwords protect your personal or confidential information, so why aren't we taking them more seriously? Would we be so care free with your debit or credit card information, I don't think so!
I think it comes down to perception, that no one is going to target you, what data could you possibly have that someone would want to steal?
But, cyberattacks are mostly automated, so they don't care who you are, if there's a weakness they'll find it and they'll take advantage of it.
Treat your passwords as confidential, so do the following :
- Enable 2FA on accounts with personal, financial or confidential information
- Never send a password in plaintext, such as email or chat
- Don't write them down unless you store the written password securely
- Don't share passwords with anyone
- Understand how to spot a phishing email, which is how a lot of passwords are compromised
- Change passwords immediately if you suspect it's been compromised
- Sign up to breachalarm.com to be informed if your account is compromised
- Change passwords of accounts when someone leaves the business
We all know we should take more care of our passwords, but the effort to do so can put people off.
But the simple steps above and the use of a password manager such as Lastpass, Password Boss or 1Password could significantly reduce the risk of your passwords being compromised and even if they were, the addition of 2FA will protect you even further.