Passwords

Stolen or cracked passwords account for 80% of all successful cyberattacks. Even so, passwords are good for security — you just need to know how to handle them.

Stolen or cracked passwords account for 80% of all successful cyberattacks. Even so, passwords are good for security — you just need to know how to handle them. Another problem is sharing passwords, which brings a stack of additional issues. Most of these are handled by password managers, which aren't perfect but definitely help. In today's post we'll cover why password managers are good and why they'll help you too.

Why use password managers

Password managers create a secure place to store passwords. There are also dedicated business managers that separate company passwords from personal ones and let you set permissions, so you never lose access to your passwords.

Centralized system

The main advantage is that you no longer have to memorize passwords — meaning you can, and should, use a different password for every service and account. You can also use randomly generated long passwords, which further strengthens your security.

End-to-end encryption

Most popular password managers use end-to-end encryption. This type of encryption takes a password and, with a unique key, scrambles it into a meaningless string of characters. Without that key, it's practically unbreakable. It also helps when sharing passwords, because it adds another layer of protection during transit.

Multi-factor authentication (MFA)

MFA adds another layer of protection on top of the password — important because unlocking the account also requires another form of verification, like an SMS/email code, a tap in an app, etc. According to a Microsoft study, MFA reduces the risk of account compromise by 99.9%.

Generating complex passwords

Most password managers have a built-in password generator. It lets you create very long, complex passwords made up of all sorts of characters. If your employees use weak passwords, push them to always create passwords through these generators — the classic "how am I supposed to remember it" excuse simply doesn't work anymore.