Happy Week 2 of National Cybersecurity Awareness Month! Over the next two weeks, we’re going to talk about 3 potential security problems that the any person could encounter in everyday technology use.
1.Weak Passwords
Passwords protect everything we do in the online world. From the 4 or 6-digit pin you use to access your phone to the passwords you create for your bank account, passwords matter. A lot. Password security and strength is as much an art as it is a science, but here are a few good guidelines for creating strong passwords:
- Use a combination of letters, numbers, and special characters. The more diverse your password is, the harder it is to guess or hack.
- Generally, the longer the password, the more secure.
- Try to avoid using only words that are found in the dictionary. Some hackers use the dictionary to try to hack passwords.
- Don’t reuse passwords.
- Rotate important passwords every 3-6 months.
Seems like a lot, doesn’t it? If you’re going to have strong passwords and protect them, you probably need a password manager. Go read Sterling’s Keeper Password Security blogs for more information on why we recommend a password manager. Trust me, if you want secure passwords, you’re going to need it.
For more NCAM information, check out Free Security Awareness Training Videos for 2020 | CompTIA. This is a free informational resource that we highly recommend to anyone wanting to learn more about cybersecurity.