Passwords are the initial line of defense against hacks and identity theft. Unfortunately, every year, the Federal Trade Commission is inundated with hundreds of thousands of complaints concerning identity theft. Many of these cases could have been prevented if the user had a stronger password. If you don’t want this to happen to your business, lean on IT services experts in Orange County for assistance with your digital security challenges.
Password Statistics of Note
Pew Research reports upwards of 45 percent of those that are surveyed use the same exact password across several different sites. It is quite shocking to learn the second most common choice for a password the past three straight years is the word “password”. The password management tool company known as Keeper reports 20 percent of those who set a password use “123456” as their password. It is clear that people are a little bit flustered when it comes to selecting a password.
Poor password hygiene is an especially egregious mistake as it is a simple and highly effective means of keeping information secure. IT services experts in Orange County can help you with your digital security challenges so tech woes do not eat away your peace of mind and your company’s bottom line.
Passwords Guard Against Attacks
If a hacker attempts to break into an account, website or an app by guessing the employee’s username and password, simply setting a password might not suffice. Modern hackers can make use of automated software to rapidly scan passwords until the proper one is guessed. Those who have one of the most frequently used passwords are at risk to be hacked before others who use more complicated passwords.
How to Survive a Digital Attack
Try to use different passwords for each website. Hackers sometimes target websites with low security to obtain passwords. The hackers will then try the same passwords on high-security sites like banks and email accounts. Once the hacker gains access to the target’s account, he can access financial accounts, credit cards, assets and plenty more. So be sure to use a unique password for each website. If your password is commonly used, change it immediately. Hackers will try all of the common passwords before stepping it up to more challenging combinations.
It will also help to avoid logging in to Facebook and Google shortcuts. Though these shortcuts certainly save time, using them is akin to using a master key for a home, vehicle, office, etc. Once the hacker has access to the password set, he has access to every single site the target uses.
Organize Passwords With a Password Manager
If you select a unique password for each website, keeping track of them will prove difficult. Password manager software creates one master key login for each account. The key is thoroughly encrypted and never sent directly to the websites. The password manager forms numerous distinct complex logins for each account, puts them in the background and lets the user log in securely.
Are you in need of IT services in Orange County? If so, look no further than Intelecis. We provide password security, data security, IT support and plenty more. Contact us now to know more how we can protect your business.
