You wouldn’t hand the keys to your business to everyone in town, so why do you rely on a weak password for your business accounts?
Using weak passwords makes it really easy for cyber criminals to unlock your accounts, steal your identity and take your money.
So how do you create a strong password that is going to protect your business?
1. Ditch the business or family name.
If the information is readily available, it’s going to be easy for a cyber criminal to track it down and use it to guess your password.
2. Use a passphrase.
You want to use a password that is simply one word as it’s easy to remember. Problem is, if it’s simple to remember, it’s also easy to guess. Try using a passphrase instead. Passphrases are a mix of random words strung together.
For example, if you were trying to create a passphrase for a plumbing company, you might end up with the following words:
- Water
- Pipes
- Blockage
- Leak
The passphrase is unique to your surroundings – and difficult for a cyber criminal to crack.
You could try something else unique to you as well. Such as naming your five favourite chocolates in order, or favourite characters.
3. Don’t repeat it!
It’s easy to want to use the same password for all your accounts. Life is busy and remembering one password is hard enough! But if a cyber criminal unlocks one of your accounts they can then gain access to the rest.
Best cyber security practice is to develop a unique password for every account. And if you find it hard to remember, consider using a password manager.
Password managers safely store all your passwords in the one place so you don’t have to remember all of them.
4. Stop sharing passwords.
We strongly advise not sharing your business account passwords with anyone. Not even with your family members or trusted employees.
Lock it up
Looking at the above, you can see that having a strong password is as important as having a good lock on your front door.
If your passwords are weak in any way, consider getting yourself an upgrade, and creating new ones.
Your passwords are the digital locks to your business, your identity and your salary.
Don’t leave your digital doors wide open – lock them up properly!
With Cyber Wardens, you can keep your digital floors clean and free of cyber criminals fishing.
