This month of October is dedicated to bringing attention to the issue of cyber security. Cybersecurity month encourages everyone to review their internet security measures and refresh their understanding of best practices. Here are some recommendations for improving your password hygiene.
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Perform a Personal Password Audit
Unfortunately, there are times when data breaches cannot be avoided and hackers get access to your credentials. Maintaining vigilance over your accounts is your greatest defense against account compromise.
When your passwords are found in a security breach list, you may be notified immediately if you use a password manager with Dark Web tracking or an integrated password health monitoring software. Login details that have been previously hacked, repeated, or contain insecure character sequences may also be uncovered by these monitoring techniques.
BreachWatch is a solution that effectively monitors the deep web for data breaches including credentials used by employees and notifies their owners. Keeper has a Security Audit tab in its personal password management accounts so users may check the strength of their passwords.
Don’t Save Passwords in Your Browser
Password saving is a feature available in all of the most common web browsers. Please don’t! Malware often aims at users’ browsers. Another issue is that if a stranger or unauthorized user gains access to your computer, they may just utilize your browser to access your online accounts without proving their identity. Install a good browser extension for your preferred password manager and utilize it to store and generate passwords rather than your browser’s built-in credential management feature.
When to Change Your Password
How frequently do you need to update the passcode on the corporate device or another desktop you are using for work? The interval of 60-90 days may be too short. Password updates were formerly suggested as best practices for cyber security, but this is no longer the case. There is widespread agreement among security experts that employing a lengthy, robust, and original password that was created and maintained in a password manager is superior to regularly changing a password.
If you are concerned that your password has been compromised, you should change it immediately. If you often change your passwords, you could resort to using easy-to-remember passphrases or have the urge to save them in your browser’s password manager. Your passwords are safe in a password manager’s locker until the unexpected occurs and the organization experiences a major breach impacting its client information.
