TECHNOMICS

World Password Day: Time to change some settings

Passwords are strange, complex and we forget them often. They are crucial as they need to secure the most private platforms of our lives. May 4 is celebrated as World Password Day - thanks to Intel Security’s initiative to remind all users about the importance of selecting the right crypto-keys.

Unfortunately, humans aren’t good enough when it comes to picking unique and secure passwords. A research was conducted by Business Insider to determine just how vulnerable accounts were and they found that over 10,000 of the most common passwords allowed access to approximately 98 per cent of all accounts. Come to think it, the extent to which our accounts are vulnerable is slightly terrifying. Follow the steps below while selecting the right password:

Step 1: Create a really strong password

It can get tricky to choose a password that is both easy to remember, and secure enough for hackers to crack. The traditional password advice is that users choose a password that is at least 12 to 14 characters long. Using a mix of different types of characters also helps. Avoid choosing obvious dictionary words; instead, opt for a unique combination of letters. For instance, choosing “football” as your password is probably a bad idea - avoid relying on obvious substitutions. In this case, choosing “f00tball” is perhaps, also not the best alternative.

Step 2: Use a different password for each account

In order to limit the fallout, in case the hackers do manage to steal your password, it is essential that you choose a different password for each site you use. Of course, that also comes with the clause that you must choose them sensibly as it can get difficult to remember them all. To counter this, you can simply create easy ways to remember these passwords. One such way would be to choose the password that is tailored as per the service you are using. For instance, if you are logging into Facebook, then you can choose something like, “Facebook + your name.” Use your own judgement of characters.

Step 3: Let a password manager do your work

Password managers are especially helpful because it only requires the user to remember one master password. Rest is automatically taken care of by the software. However, be careful with unknown password management apps as they can steal your passwords too.

Step 4: Prefer multi-factor authentication Security experts these days are strongly recommending that users opt for multi-factor authentication with their systems. Multi-factor authentication is a method of computer access control in which a user is granted access only after successfully presenting at least two separate pieces of evidence to an authentication mechanism.

These typically revolve around something that is exclusive to the user’s knowledge, possession or inherence. OTA and email verifications are presently well known MFA methods.

World Password Day is meant to be treated as an encouragement to protect yourself and your closed ones from the dangers and possibly drastic consequences.

Make sure you go through your passwords and make them stronger.