World Password Day: Security Through Long, Unique Passwords – Security

Today is World Password Day, a day for
organizations to remind their employees of the importance of using
strong passwords and practicing good password hygiene to protect
personal and work accounts. Given the large number of accounts that
employees manage—and the risk that weak passwords pose to an
organization—organizations can use this day to emphasize
password security for both corporate and personal passwords.

• Train employees to use long, unique passwords for all
  accounts. Short, commonly used passwords can put an
  organization’s information at risk. Teach employees to use long
  passphrases: at least five words containing at least 15 characters.
  It can be difficult for users to memorize—and type—a
  long string of random characters, so educate them on how to create
  a phrase that they can remember but hackers can’t crack.
  Organizational Security Awareness Training programs should
  include the risks of reusing passwords—if criminals figure
  out an employee’s password for one account, they could use it
  to try to access the employee’s other accounts, including their
  work account.




• Implement an enterprise-wide password manager.
  Password managers are highly effective and can help minimize the
  risk of hackers accessing corporate accounts. They generate and
  store long, unique passwords, eliminating the risk of employees
  creating weak passwords or reusing the same password in multiple
  accounts. Password managers allow employees to securely share
  accounts with other employees, with account managers able to
  obscure account passwords for additional security.




• Use a multi-factor authenticator (MFA) app for network
  access. Authenticating through an MFA app is more secure
  than verifying with a phone call or text message. Since such apps
  are linked to the mobile device and not the mobile account,
  app-based prompts would continue to be routed to the original
  device—preventing a criminal from intercepting an MFA prompt
  if they take over an employee’s account.
  

  • Educate employees to respond appropriately to
    unexpected MFA prompts. Unexpected MFA prompts may
    indicate a criminal is trying to sign into an account using a
    stolen password. Criminals hope that the employee will tap
    “Approve” accidentally or out of frustration to stop the
    prompts from appearing. Employees should be trained to reject
    unexpected prompts, change their network password, and immediately
    report the attempt.

Emphasizing the importance of long, unique passwords and good
password hygiene can help keep accounts more secure, protecting the
organization’s network and information.

The content of this article is intended to provide a general
guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought
about your specific circumstances.