Using the same password for all of your accounts may seem like an easy route, but it can become haunting in no time. Compromised passwords found in data breaches should be retired, yet they are still being used. These old passwords offer zero security and should be put down immediately.
Through our research we found that the average person only uses six passwords to cover 24 accounts and about 50% of all passwords are at least five years old. That leaves plenty of time for a password that protects about four of your accounts to be breached. It’s honestly more of a surprise that there are passwords out there that still haven’t been compromised.
As a company, what can you do to improve your password security? For one, implementing password management policies that require regular password changes is a step in the right direction. Requiring passwords to meet a standard complexity also helps, especially if it disallows known compromised passwords. As any IT professional will tell you, users are not to be trusted. The best solution out there is to deploy multi-factor authentication, and entirely do away with old, repeated, and simple passwords.
There are few easy-to-remember tips that we’ve come across to help:
- Use a long paraphrase
- Don’t make passwords easy to guess
- Avoid using common words in your passwords
- Keep your passwords on the down-low
- Double your login protection
- And if necessary, utilize a password manager to remember all your long passwords
Keeping your passwords safe and secure is important in your personal life, and in your work life. Changing your passwords is an easy way to avoid data breaches and it only takes about 30 seconds to change one password! Don’t be afraid to take note of all you different passwords, as long they are in a secure password manager. We don’t want any ghosts to get a hold on you due to their ability to steal passwords out from under your nose.
