Do you ever use the same password for multiple accounts? Or use a range of easy to remember combinations? If so, you and your business could be at risk of getting hacked. Ask yourself, how secure are my passwords? And how easily could a stranger crack it?

The reality is, if you are using weak passwords, rotating easy to remember words or using the same password for multiple accounts, a hacker could easily come along and steal vital data, emails, money, images; basically anything of any value.

If you want your business’ accounts to remain safe and secure, it’s vital to learn about the importance of good password security, what a strong password is and what to avoid when creating new accounts.

Why is good password security vital?

As more businesses move online, cyber-security has never been more important. Hackers know that there is more data online than ever before, making good password security vital to ensure your business stays safe.

One of the most common ways a hacker will infiltrate your system is by guessing a weak password, and if you use this password for multiple accounts, the results could be extremely damaging.

There are a few main ways that hackers will attempt to guess or find out your password:

A Hacker Dictionary

A hacker dictionary is a resource that hackers use which lists some of the most common password combinations that people use. They will then ‘run’ this against your accounts to try and break in and steal your information. If your passwords are weak and used across multiple accounts, you may at risk.

By Force

To break into accounts, hackers use automated software that is based on a cycle of guesswork, pairing random combinations of passwords and usernames together until they find a match. If your password is easy to guess, the software will have a much greater chance of being successful.

Phishing

Phishing isn’t strictly a type of hack; however, it is still a process that hackers use to attempt to steal password and account details. Hackers will send an email to potential victims that appear to be from a legitimate source asking them to either click malicious links or input their login details to a spoof website. The hackers can then either infect the user’s computer with malware or steal sensitive information.

Tips on ensuring your password is secure.

If you believe your passwords may be at risk from hackers, we’ve put together a few helpful tips that can help you keep your data safe.

Always:

• Use different passwords for different accounts. This gives you piece of mind that if a hacker manages to crack one of your passwords, only one account will be compromised.
• Consider password analysers that are present on websites. If it says your password is weak, try and make changes to strengthen it.
• Ensure your passwords are complex and made up of more than 12 characters and numbers. The most common passwords that are hacked are unsurprisingly ‘123456’, ‘111111’ and ‘qwerty’.
• Make sure you change your password from any that have been automatically generated by a website.