Unfortunately, hacking is becoming increasingly common as more of our lives move online. Hackers use a variety of methods to gain access to your accounts and services. Most often, techniques such as phishing are used to extract the necessary information.
Sometimes, sophisticated hacking methods aren’t even necessary if passwords are not secure. Choosing a strong password is vital in order to protect yourself and your sensitive information. It’s also essential to choose different passwords for each account.
To help you protect your data and guard against cyberattacks, the IT experts at Groupe SL explain what makes a good password.
What makes a good password?
It might seem silly, but did you know that the most common passwords are simply “password” and “123456”? Many users choose simple passwords that leave them extremely vulnerable when it comes to cybersecurity.
Here are a few criteria to consider when choosing a password.
Password length and special characters
The two most important criteria for a password are its length and the characters used.
First of all, the longer a password is, the more difficult it will be to hack. Ideally, your passwords should be at least 12 characters long. Most online services require a minimum length of 8 to 10 characters, which isn’t enough.
It’s also important to use a wide variety of characters to make your password strong. Remember to use capital letters and special characters (!,&,*,%,$, etc.) in the passwords you choose.
A password that is long and uses a variety of different characters will be much more difficult to hack. However, these aren’t the only criteria to consider!
Tip from Groupe SL: Partnering with a cloud service provider is a great way to improve your cybersecurity! Consider working with professionals to secure your data. 😉
Choose a password that has nothing to do with you
When choosing a password, it’s important to make sure that it doesn’t contain any clues that could be linked to you. Using your wife’s name and date of birth or your favourite soccer team isn’t optimal, because the information is easy to find. An ill-intentioned family member or hacker could easily come across the information online—on social media, for example.
Therefore, it’s best to use words and numbers that are unrelated to you and your interests. Many experts say that the best solution is to combine words that have nothing to do with each other, like “ChairTruckFlower85!” or “ConsiderateGarageDispute4267$”.
Random strings of letters and numbers are also a good way to create a secure password, although they tend to be difficult to remember.
Use a different password for each account
Another vital measure to take to secure your accounts is to choose a unique password for each one. This prevents hackers from gaining access to multiple accounts at once.
If you use the same password for everything, you multiply your risk of being hacked, particularly since not all websites have the same level of security. A hacker could find your password on a blog where you have an account and use it to hack your social media or bank account. The same goes for phishing, where you run the risk of providing access to all of your accounts at once.
So, remember not to use the same password too frequently, and ideally, use a different password for each account!
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Don’t leave your passwords lying around
The same elements that make for a strong password can also make them difficult to remember. To solve the problem, many people write down and store their passwords somewhere. While this isn’t necessarily a bad idea, it’s important to take certain precautions when using such a method.
Storing all of your passwords in a text file on your computer or on a sticky note makes it easy for someone to find them and hack you.
The best solution is to store your passwords using a password manager, write them down in a secure file or keep a hand-written copy in a locked safe. Otherwise, you can entrust your password management to a specialized IT firm to keep them safe.
Opt for two-factor authentication
For several years now, a lot of software and online services such as Google have been offering two-factor authentication, an additional security measure that requires an email address or phone number associated with your account in order to send you a notification whenever a log in attempt is made. Those who opt for this measure are kept informed of any suspicious log in attempts and benefit from more secure accounts.
Applications like Authenticator or Authy generate a unique code every 30 seconds that only the account holder can access, significantly increasing the security of accounts that use them.
At Groupe SL, we offer all of our clients two-factor authentication and guide them through the implementation process.
Leave your IT infrastructure security management to Groupe SL!
Protecting your sensitive data starts with choosing a strong password. When it comes to password security, there are several important factors to consider. Implementing the best practices explained above will help ensure that your accounts never end up in the wrong hands.
Enlisting the services of a specialized firm remains the best solution for managing your IT infrastructure security. Experts will be able to help you choose strong passwords and manage them properly.
Contact Groupe SL today! Our team will be happy to discuss your needs and take charge of your IT infrastructure management. Your data security is important to us!
