Did you know, the most common fear people face is the fear of being hacked? Some may call it hacker phobia or hacking anxiety, but the bottom line is that there are numerous actions to take in order to minimize your personal risks.
According to Verizon, 80% of data breaches are linked to passwords. Following password best-practices can help reduce your risk of exposure and avoid a number of security dangers. You may be thinking to yourself, “I already have a very secure password that no one knows about.” Or, you just may not feel that you need to change your password at this very moment. However, it is recommended to change your passwords every three months to avoid any security breaches. In addition, you always want to be sure to use a strong password (i.e., using a mix of letters, numbers, and symbols when creating passwords). Often, you can take extra security measures such as using two-factor authentication to neutralize the risks associated with compromised passwords.
Reasons why you should improve your password security:
Companies can improve their workers’ cybersecurity knowledge by deploying the basic training offered by security awareness platforms. Ideally, the training takes place annually and delivers general security knowledge and an understanding of cyber best practices. In addition to the standard annual training, organizations can choose to implement several specialized options.
1. Limit Breaches to Multiple Accounts
We strongly advise you to refrain from using the same password for multiple accounts. Think about it, if one account gets compromised, then technically you should treat every other account with that same password as a risk. Always update your passwords with new versions you have not used before.
2. Prevent Constant Access
Often, a hacker may attempt to infiltrate your account more than once over a period of time. Changing your password reduces this risk.
3. Prevent Use of Saved Passwords
If you happen to lose your device, it also puts your passwords at risk. Regularly updating your passwords means that even if someone finds an old or saved password, it will no longer be useful, and your data will be secure.
4. Limit Access Gained by Keystroke Loggers
Keystroke loggers will follow common typing patterns to record keystrokes. This often happens when typing in your credentials.
This brings us to the real question of when should you change your password (besides every three months)?
1. Security Breach
You always want to change your password when there is a security breach. When a company tells you there has been a breach in the system, it’s always best to play it safe. In a study conducted by LastPass, 45% of survey respondents did not change their passwords in 2021 even after a breach had occurred.
2. Unauthorized Access
If you receive a notification that someone unauthorized is trying to log into your account, it’s best to change the password right away. Should you wait, and the hacker has more of an advantage getting into the account.
3. Malware or Phishing Software
Yes, even if your computer happens to be infiltrated by these softwares, your passwords are put at risk as well. It’s best to change them and have an expert diagnose any issues with your computer.
4. Shared Access
Do you share an account with someone else? Shared passwords are notorious to become compromised because they are being used on multiple platforms.
5. Public Places
Public wifi is not safe. If you connect to a place that uses public wifi its best to change your passwords after to ensure your accounts are still secure.
6. If Diversity is Needed
According to Private Proxy Guide, roughly 50% of all Internet users use the same passwords for all their accounts. By using the same credentials across online accounts, you allow hackers easy access to your digital life. It’s important to diversify your passwords if you aren’t already doing so.
7. Not Logging in for a While
Rule of thumb is that if you have not logged into an account for over a year, you should change the password the next time you go to use the account.
Overall, it’s always recommended to change your password to keep your work private and safe. It may seem like a nuisance at first, but overall your security is what is at stake. Think of it this way, would you rather take five minutes to change your password, or the next hour calling your bank to see why your credit card was compromised? We’ll take the first choice!
View more of our Blogs here