Passwords have come a long way since they first began back in 1961. For the general public, the 1990’s would have been the start of password creation due to the global commercial network or as it is more commonly known, the world wide web.
Gone are the days where we can use our pets name or our birthdays as a password for all our accounts. This is in part thanks to a rise in cyber attacks and the volume at which we use passwords for accessing almost everything and anything personal. Many or most accounts now include rules that one must follow in order to create a “strong” password making it far easier to forget.
Due creating so many “strong” passwords, many of us are likely to forget the over the Christmas New Year period and while resetting might be an option it becomes a pain to keep resetting!
To help you with this dilemma, we present to you a software that you may not have heard of (or maybe you have because your work place insists on it but don’t fret, there is a method to their madness), The Password Manager! This is a software solution which can not only generate a passphrase or password for you but it can also store all your passwords and usernames in a secure way. Many have the ability to auto-populate usernames and passwords for saved websites once you are signed in. Using such a program does away with the unsafe and insecure practice/s of re-using passwords and/or writing them down. This will make your data better protected and if used at work, will make your IT security department very happy. All you need to do is remember one password/passphrase to access this software and the rest will fix itself.
The other process, which is highly recommended for an added layer of security, is the use of 2FA or two-factor authentication on any systems offering it. This is software that will detect either you or someone unknown trying to login. Usually a message is sent to the nominated mobile number or email address and you either accept or deny access.
As the founder and CEO of Cymax, Sean Dendle, would say – “IT departments have to get it right every time, hackers have to get it right only once”. So next time you need to create a password, consider the above. This will not only help your IT department (because let’s face it, it’s not just their job to keep data safe, it’s a team effort) but it will also help you out in the long term with remembering and accessing ALL of the websites, programs and logs in you likely have nowadays.
If you would like to find out more information regarding implementing or the use of 2FA or a password storage solution, please call our office and one of our friendly IT staff will be able to answer your questions. For more information on security questions you should be asking your IT department, please click here.