Our perceptions are not often our reality. When dealing with password protection, that is often the case. For this reason, Record Nations reached out and gathered expert opinions on password protection to set the records straight on what a smart password management strategy is.
Darren Guccione, CEO and Co-Founder, Keeper Security, Inc.
63 percent of data breaches are due to weak, default or stolen passwords. Individuals and businesses need to stop using the same password for all of their logins. Storing passwords on paper, in a spreadsheet or in your browser is vulnerable to cyber criminals. Passwords should be at least 8 characters in length and include a mixture of upper and lower case letters, numbers and symbols. A simple solution for individuals and businesses to protect their passwords is to adopt a password manager. The tool should generate strong passwords, auto-fill passwords across your apps and websites, and organize your passwords on all platforms and devices. Sensitive documents should also be able to be securely stored in a digital vault where they are encrypted.
Conrad Smith, Chief Information Security Office, Bitium
Enable 2-factor or multi-factor authentication. Multi-factor authentication is the addition of something you know or have (like your smartphone or a digital key) that is separate from your primary source of authentication (username and password). By enabling multi-factor authentication, you prevent unauthorized account logins by others who can crack your passwords.
Rachel Perez, Social Media Marketing Manager, iPartnerMedia (Now Vectra Digital)
Passwords shouldn’t make sense. It’s easy to remember your birthday, anniversary or maiden name, passwords. Too easy. Use a random string of letters, numbers, and special characters instead. Additionally, don’t be swayed by the ease of public WiFi. File sharing in a public access area is like a revolving door. You don’t want others coming in while you’re sending out. Limit device-to-device file sharing features to secure home networks.
Joseph Steinberg, CEO, SecureMySocial
Do not change passwords too often. This recommendation may go against conventional wisdom – but that’s because many security professionals seem to think theoretically without a good understand of human weaknesses. The AARP itself states “Change critical passwords frequently, possibly every other week.” Think about that for a moment. If you have a bank account, mortgage, a couple credit cards, a phone bill, high speed Internet bill, utility bills, social media accounts, email accounts, etc. you may easily be talking about a dozen or so critical passwords. Changing them every two weeks would mean 312 new critical passwords to remember within the span of every year. For most people, that is simply impossible, so they use the same weak passwords on multiple sites and/or start writing down passwords in an insecure manner.
Jeff Kear, Owner, Planning Pod
A big mistake is that many people also use easy-to-guess personal details for their passwords. Using a password manager means not only that you don’t have to remember every password, but it also allows you to create randomized passwords. I recommend creating a unique randomized password for every login that’s at least 15 characters long with lowercase/uppercase letters, numbers and symbols.
Chris Maddalena, Information Security Consultant, eSentire
The number one thing everyone should do is enable two-factor authentication. For example, all of your major social media accounts support it – Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn. It can seem inconvenient at first, but it’s an absolute must. When signing-in on a new PC, you’ll just need your phone with you. You can greatly improve security and continue using your social media apps on your devices unimpeded.
Sean M. Bailey, Editor in Chief, Horsesmouth
We’ve moved from that innocent “you’ve got mail” era to a new era I call “you’ve been hacked and don’t even know it.” Good password safety is critical for everyone and strong, safe passwords are much easier to achieve than most people realize. While many people still rely on easy-to-remember, easy-to-crack passwords such as 123456, I recommend people adopt poetic or goal-setting passwords. A poetic password works like this. Take a stanza from a favorite poem or song, maybe something from the Beatles like “Hey Jude, don’t make it bad. Take a sad song and make it better.” You take the first letter from each word in the phrase and you get: hjdmibtassamib. Now swap some uppercase letters and symbols such as the @ or $ for A and S and you get: Hjdmibt@$$@mib. That’s a very strong password.
Robert Siciliano, CEO, IDTheftSecurity.com
The “dictionary attack” is when a hacker applies software that runs through real words and common number sequences in search of a hit. So if your password is 8642golfer, don’t be surprised if you get hacked. Also, don’t check the “remember me” option. Having to type in your password every single time means added protection.
Now That You Have Expert Opinions on Password Protection, Start Protecting Your Business’s Information With A Strong Document Management System
Passwords are an essential part of our document management systems. At Record Nations, we help partner you with professionals in your area who can make your business more secure. Simply call us at (866) 385-3706, or fill out the form to the right, and we will start working with you instantly on finding the best provider for your document management needs.
