Think your password is strong? You may want to reassess.
Day by day, hackers are becoming more sophisticated, using dictionary-based algorithms, scouring social media, or simply using automated programs to arrive at combinations. Compromised, and short, easy passwords give hackers an entryway.
As part of Cybersecurity Awareness Month, Microsoft Security shares 3 best practices you can explore and adopt to secure your sign-in:
- Create strong passwords
Creating a strong password may seem like a colossal task but these passwords are our very first line of defense. It’s important to understand that hackers don’t break in, rather, they sign-in.
You’re going to want to go in for the long haul; 12 characters, if not 14, involving uppercase, lowercase letters, numbers, symbols, unlike a word from the dictionary. Ensure that it is something that you can remember but that a hacker cannot easily guess.
A strong password, different from your previous ones, makes it that much harder for someone to sign in.
Pro tip! Use your browser’s password generator to create stronger passwords.
- Fortify your passcodes
When criminals can’t crack passwords, the next step is to trick you into revealing them.
Keep your password close to your chest by never sharing it with anyone, verbally or across email/ message/ any other means that are not secure.
Other best practices involve ensuring each new password is unique and changing them frequently, especially if you feel it has been compromised.
- Better yet, just go passwordless!
It can be hard to create, secure and manage multiple passwords across multiple accounts. Luckily, you can now resort to Passwordless sign-in methods like the Microsoft Authenticator App, physical security keys, and biometrics, which can’t be stolen, hacked, or guessed!
While there are tips and tricks to better manage your passwords, and keep them much more secure from hackers, we also now have modern options of going password less and using biometric authentication to add another layer of security.
As the number of cybersecurity attacks mount, it’s important to ensure that as users, we are well fortified to prevent common attacks, and secure our personal and professional assets.
