The Importance of Strong and Secure Passwords
Unauthorized access is a potentially major problem for anyone who uses a computer or high-tech devices such as smartphones or tablets. The consequences for victims of these break-ins can include the loss of valuable data such as presentations, emails, and music. Victims may also have their bank account information, money, or even their identity stolen. Moreover, unauthorized users may use someone else’s computer to break the law, which could put the victim in legal trouble.
One of the most common ways that hackers break into computers is by guessing passwords. Simple and commonly used passwords enable intruders to easily gain access and control of a computing device.
Conversely, a password that is difficult to guess makes it prohibitively difficult for common hackers to break into a machine and will force them to look for another target. The more difficult the password, the lower the likelihood that one’s computer will fall victim to an unwanted intrusion.
How to create a strong password in 7 steps:
1. MAKE YOUR PASSWORD LONG.
The longer and more complex your password is, the longer this process takes. Passwords that are three characters long take less than a second to crack.
2. MAKE YOUR PASSWORD A NONSENSE PHRASE.
If your letter combinations are not in the dictionary, your phrases are not in published literature, and none of it is grammatically correct, they will be harder to crack. Also do not use characters that are sequential on a keyboard such as numbers in order or the widely used “qwerty.”
3. INCLUDE NUMBERS, SYMBOLS, AND UPPERCASE AND LOWERCASE LETTERS.
Randomly mix up symbols and numbers with letters. You could substitute a zero for the letter O or @ for the letter A, for example. If your password is a phrase, consider capitalizing the first letter of each new word, which will be easier for you to remember.
4. AVOID USING OBVIOUS PERSONAL INFORMATION.
If there is information about you that is easily discoverable—such as your birthday, anniversary, address, city of birth, high school, and relatives’ and pets’ names—do not include them in your password. These only make your password easier to guess.
5. DO NOT REUSE PASSWORDS.
If your account is compromised and you use this email address and password combination across multiple sites, your information can be easily used to get into any of these other accounts. Use unique passwords for everything.
6. START USING A PASSWORD MANAGER.
Password managers are services that auto-generate and store strong passwords on your behalf. These passwords are kept in an encrypted, centralized location, which you can access with a master password.
7. CHANGE YOUR PASSWORDS REGULARLY.
The more sensitive your information is, the more often you should change your password. Once it is changed, do not use that password again for a very long time.
Example of a strong password and how long will take to be hacked
1
h0m£r$imp$0n
Encryption for sensitive data
Encryption is important to every business today because it enables them to protect confidential data by converting it into ciphertext, a form that is unreadable without an encryption key. This process is called “encoding.” Encryption makes it nearly impossible for cybercriminals or other unauthorized parties to steal and misuse the data since only those with an encryption key can decipher the data and reveal the true information.
The importance of encryption cannot be understated in the slightest because even the biggest corporations with the largest cybersecurity budgets fall victim to data breaches. That being said, even if your data is in a secure infrastructure, there is still a chance that your data could be compromised. With data encryption, however, your files can be that much more impenetrable even if they were stolen.
