When did you last change your password?
Almost half of the Dutch population reuses their password for various services. That is not very surprising, because nowadays you have to create an account—including a password—for every online order, on every social platform, and for every type of subscription. It makes sense that your password is regularly set to repeat. This applies to work-related matters as well.
Still – and deep down we know this – it is better not to do that. In any case, it is good to change your 'permanent' password every now and then and to vary your passwords.
Change Your Password Day
So take a moment this week to change your frequently used password(s) as part of Change Your Password Day. And preferably use different passwords for different systems and accounts.
Last Sunday, November 24, was Change Your Password Day. A day that calls attention to the security of systems and user accounts. Yes, it is easy not to really have to think and to be able to 'guess' the same password everywhere, but it is not well secured.
Tip: Nowadays, a strong password is the length of a sentence and consists of lowercase letters, uppercase letters, one or more numbers, and symbols. So, create a password in the form of a sentence.
Use complex security
As an online marketing agency, we know better than anyone how important the security of accounts and systems is, and what constitutes strong security. We therefore use a password manager, or password vault, for enhanced security. This is highly recommended for businesses, but you can also use a password vault for private use, and this is free of charge. A password manager turns your passwords into encryptions—codes that are much more complex to crack than the password itself.
Examples of useful, reliable password managers:
A number of these password managers are free for private individuals to use.
add two-step verification
Business information, in particular, can be valuable to hackers. Therefore, it is not only important for companies to ensure complex data protection, but employees can also contribute to the security process. This can be done, for example, through two-factor authentication.
Two-step verification is an extra security measure that requires not one, but two actions to grant you access to an email account or cloud service. This is also known as a security key, double security, or authentication. Think of this as a combination of a password and a code via SMS or an authenticator app, such as the Google Authenticator appHowever, a fingerprint or face scan combined with a password also counts as two-factor authentication.
Why use two-step verification?
By using two-factor authentication, you make it many times more difficult for malicious hackers to access your data. A password alone is quite vulnerable. 90% of all passwords can already be compromised. within 6 hours could already be traced if someone wanted to.
Do you want to know more about two-step verification? Then check this out. Fact sheet on the use of two-factor authentication from the National Cyber Security Center. Some email providers, cloud services, and social media already offer this two-step verification themselves. This is possible with Apple, Dropbox, WhatsApp, and Facebook, among others.
When do you change your password(s)?
More and more devices and even machines are connected to the internet. It is therefore all the more important to secure the devices, accounts, and machines that are 'online' with a strong password. Take a moment for this today or later this week, and above all, do not forget two-factor authentication.
Curious if one of your accounts has ever been subjected to a cyberattack by hackers? On the website Have I been pwned? You can check this quickly by entering your email address!