passwordThough many companies outsource their IT services in Los Angeles, some assume that there are a few things that can’t be delegated to a third-party provider. One of those is password creation. Making a strong password is still up to the person who holds an account to which access should be regulated.

However, password management is something that can and should be outsourced. Although the ideal solution is to memorize all your passwords, it’s not exactly an easy thing to do because of the following reasons:

1) Too many passwords

Using a single password for different accounts is a no-no. All it takes is for one of your accounts to be hacked and all others are compromised. Thus, it’s good practice to use a unique password for each account. But a consequence of this is too many passwords. According to a survey conducted by IT Security Sophos, the average person has 19 passwords. That’s a lot to remember!

2) Weak passwords

Because complex passwords are hard to memorize, some people use simple passwords that are easy to remember – and therefore, easy to crack as well. In the list of 50 most used passwords, “123456,” “password,” “12345678,” “qwerty,” and “123456789” are in the top five. Hackers don’t need to use a sophisticated virus to get into a system when the passwords are quite predictable. Even IT Services experts in Los Angeles won’t be of much help if the weakness does not lie in the systems, but in the people that use them.

3) Frequent password changes

Many companies enforce periodic password change. That’s not a bad idea. Passwords need to be updated regularly, and even more after a potential or actual breach. However, not everyone chooses completely different passwords when updating. A lot of folks just choose to tweak their current password by adding or removing numbers, letters, or characters. Thus, the new passwords are not as secure as they should be.

4) Very strict password policies

Aside from frequent password changes, many companies have made their password policies complicated in an attempt to improve security. But some of these policies are too complicated to be practical. With so many rules to follow, it’s not a surprise why people choose one acceptable password and just make variations of it for different accounts. Now, that’s indeed practical for the end-user, but it’s not good for the systems the passwords are meant to protect.

But in spite of the complicated nature of passwords, there is a convenient way to handle them— that’s through password management. Fortunately, password management is usually part of the set of solutions offered by an IT services provider in Los Angeles. Signing up for it is often on a subscription basis only, so your company doesn’t have to invest in staff or equipment. If you’re in the market for a reputable provider you can trust, look no further than Intelecis. We have plenty of experience in delivering managed services as confirmed by our long list of satisfied clients. If you want to know more about how we can serve your business, contact us today!