It’s world password day!

Are you still using your pet's name followed by a "@" for your account password? Sorry, but it won't keep you safe in 2022. So, for World Password Day, here's what you need to remember - it's all about layers.

how do layers protect me?

To prevent identity theft and other cybercrimes, use the theory behind “layers” to apply strong authentication to all of your critical passwords.

There's a frightening fact about our password security right now. According to Business Insider's investigation into how susceptible accounts are, 10,000 of the most frequent passwords provide access to 98 per cent of all accounts. To put it another way, most people use the same passwords for years.

Career hackers understand this, making them highly effective at what they do. As a result, World Password Day is an attempt to combat this. The organisers hope to educate the entire world on the importance of using a strong password. A password that looks like your birthday or, God forbid, the term "password" is a grave offence. According to them, passwords should be long, complicated, and have no relation to actual words.

The World Password Day organisers are also promoting the use of two-factor authentication. You've probably heard of this concept before if you're computer savvy. The goal is to combine two types of protection to ensure that you attempt to access your account and not someone else's. Two-factor authentication can be implemented in a variety of ways. Using a standard password and then sending an alert to your phone to validate that it is you logging in is the most usual method. If it isn't, you can decline the sign-in request and change your password.

Refer to our Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) blog for more information.

passwords, what’s it all about?

We use them to secure the most private parts of our lives and help protect our finances, health records, or maybe just our emails. World Password Day serves as a reminder of the importance of passwords and their role in ensuring that we keep control of our lives. Identity thieves are everywhere, and passwords are your first line of defence.

Origins of world password day.

Mark Burnett, a well-known security researcher, came up with the concept for the event. He realised that the majority of people's passwords were woefully inadequate. As a result, he advised people to hold their own "password day" once a year, during which they would change the passwords on all of their accounts.

For the better part of a decade, the idea sat dormant. However, in 2013, semiconductor giant Intel revived the notion as part of its ongoing security initiatives.

why is world password day important?

1. The internet is where we get a lot of our information. Consider your online banking accounts, bill-paying sites, shopping sites, etc. Make sure your passwords are strong and varied.

2. Password managers and multi-factor authentication are terms you've probably heard before. So it is an excellent day to sit down and learn something new. With the latest technology alternatives available, you may also 'set it and forget it' for the future.

3. The days of writing passwords on stickies are long gone. Several low-cost and free password managers will still leave you plenty of time for all that online shopping.

So What to do?

Commit to the layer pledge - you need a card and a PIN to withdraw money from an ATM; shouldn't your online accounts be protected in the same way? Today, commit to protecting your family and yourself from the dangers and consequences of identity theft.

• Make your passwords more robust by making gibberish phrases that you can remember, adding spaces, turning letters into digits, and constructing something that no hacker will ever guess.

• And please, avoid posting things like names, birthdays, anniversaries, and pet names to Facebook as part of a meme.

• You can also use the internet to create virtually hacker-proof passwords. "MisterWhiskers" is now "e9UBct*35TwhT&p/'e:y" for example.

Looking Ahead.

A model password now contains letters, numbers, case changes, and symbols, but this may not always be the case in the future. Who knows how artificial intelligence and quantum computers will alter the game? We'll have to wait and see what happens.

To step up your security measures for your business, speak to us. We've helped plenty of clients put in the protection they need to keep their business, data and clients safe. Get In Touch.