September Newsletter: Password Security | Grundig IT

Last month, we talked about ransomware and what to do about it.

This month, we will cover passwords and how to simplify password management while remaining secure.

Find more on Blog at GrundigIT.com

As Always, Happy Computing!

— Tom Grundig

password security best practices guidelines

Password security: What you need to know.

Password security is important, as it is the final line of defense against an intruder. Luckily, some new tools, combined with newly talked-about guidelines, could make this easier. Let’s discuss passwords and better ways to manage them.

There is no doubt that password security is important in the modern day. Having your password revealed for your bank account, Amazon account, any domain or hosting service, or your social media (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIN) could become a very serious detriment to your personal or public life. Because of this, having a complex password is a must. However, this doesn’t mean that it needs to be difficult to remember.

A big frustration for many users today, password requirements have become almost over-the-top in terms of what websites force you to do. Uppercase, lowercase, symbols, numbers, avoiding certain words, cursive, typing upside down, using foreign keyboards that use different alphabets – it can all be a little much.

Try not to use the same passwords for different sites. If that is not possible, definitely choose different passwords for each financial site you visit, especially Equifax, and for any others which you would least like to have compromised.

Password managers are a good way to store your passwords in one easy-to-access location. They work by storing (in encrypted form) the username and password for every website you need (some will even generate very secure passwords for you). Here are some password managers that you can choose from, along with feature comparisons and ratings for each.

Once you have setup the password manager for the websites you frequent, all you will need to remember is one “Master Password.” Once the master password is entered it will autofill the username and password for you on the given website.

The only drawback of password managers is the one you’re probably thinking about right now – “What if someone gets a hold of my master password? What happens then?” Luckily, most password managers operate locally on the PC, meaning there is no server to crack or leak them from. As a result, someone would need to access to your computer in order to have a chance of gaining access to your password manager.

If you don’t like the idea of having a master password to control a plethora of accounts, then following some newer guidelines will help reduce the headache of picking safe passwords. Starting this year, some fresh ideas regarding password generation have been popping up. Articles such as this one from NPR have some friendly tips for helping choose a password that will be easy to remember. Your passwords should be complex, easy for you to remember, but hard for anyone else to guess.

As Always, Happy Computing!

— Grundig IT – 925.528.9081 tom@grundigit.com

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Password security: What you need to know.