Pa55w0rd123

Are your passwords making you vulnerable to cyber attack?

We’re human. We’re creatures of habit. We’re sometimes very predictable… so we’ll usually base our passwords on things we can easily remember.

Do you use your pet's name, date of birth, a favourite holiday location in your passwords? Mix in some capital letters, numbers and special characters for good measure, in the vain hope that this will thwart the attempts of hackers to guess your password – sadly it won’t. ?Special characters are automatically searched alongside all normal characters if someone is trying to hack your systems. And yes, you probably use this password and variations of it across multiple accounts.

As a rule of thumb, the longer the password the more secure it will be. This is because it will take computers or bots much more time to crack longer passwords. ?Most common, shorter passwords can be discovered in a matter of seconds.

You’re not alone. Most people are pretty rubbish at creating long & unique passwords mostly because they are so easily forgotten.

So, what can you do to avoid having your bank account emptied or your intellectual property or company accounts viewed by the masses?

To start with you could start by using our FREE Passphrase Generator to produce long, secure yet memorable passwords.

?

So… What is a passphrase?

A passphrase is a long password that is composed of a series of random words and other characters.

Here’s an example of a secure password: vO8DD7a{o.FntU]pzsF. ?It has 20 characters with a mix of character types but you have no chance of being able to remember it.

Conversely, here’s an example of a secure passphrase: The-Wrong-Trousers-2. This is also 20 characters long and contains a mix of character types and you have just remembered it!

?

What makes a strong passphrase?

• A minimum length of 12 characters
• Use a mix of upper, lower, special characters & numbers.
• Made of multiple short words that bear no relation to the person who owns them
• Easy to remember - helping to avoid the need to constantly reset it. e.g. Saving-Private-Ryan-2

?

Top password Tips:

• Start using passphrases instead of passwords
• Do not re-use passwords. Ensure you have unique passwords for each account
• Use themes such as films or music. e.g. Obi-Wan-Kenobi-0
• Add a number to the end
• Do not share your passwords with anyone
• Consider using a Password Manager app such iCloud or if you have a Team, Keeper is an excellent choice (we can help you to implement Keeper).?

Be sure to add a browser bookmark to our FREE Passphrase Generator for the next time you need a secure password, check it out here: https://implic-it.com/passphrase-generator/

?

Implicit have been helping? small businesses for over 15 years and believe we’ve found the perfect range of digital tools to help you prosper and stay safe online. If you’re interested in hearing more about the Daylite CRM, our macOS Support, Keeper Password Manager, Malwarebytes antivirus software for Mac, or are interested in gaining Cyber Essentials for your organisation, book a free 30-minute consultation here.

www.implic-it.com

?