World Password Day has become an important annual event in the cybersecurity industry that is celebrated on the first Thursday of May each year. The day is dedicated to raising awareness about the importance of using strong passwords and practicing good password hygiene. Despite the significance of passwords in protecting sensitive data from unauthorized access and ensuring secure online transactions, many people still use weak and easily guessable passwords. Sadly, a recent study disclosed that the most common password is still “123456,” followed closely by “password.”

To address the issue of weak and easily guessable passwords, cybersecurity experts have suggested ways on how to create strong passwords. Darren Guccione, CEO, and co-founder of Keeper Security, recommends strong and unique passwords for each account that are at least 12 characters long with upper and lowercase letters, numbers, and special characters. To achieve this, he advises using a password manager as a first line of defense to reduce the chances of a compromise that can hurt a company’s reputation or brand. He further recommends enabling MFA to protect against remote data breaches and to help colleagues securely share passwords and access to accounts.

Thomas Richards, principal consultant at the Synopsys Software Integrity Group, emphasizes that strong passwords are the foundation of internet security and should be taken seriously. He urges organizations to require stronger passwords and always enable multi-factor authentication on any app or platform that offers it. He further advises using password managers to manage and secure sensitive login information effectively.

Darren James, Senior Product Specialist at Specops – an Outpost24 Company, urges IT leaders to stop blaming users for bad passwords. Instead, he suggests implementing a technology stack that empowers users to implement password best practices by choosing a password policy software that enforces compliance, blocks the use of known breached passwords, and restricts bad user behaviors like using your own company-name in your password.

Jamie Akhtar, CEO, and co-founder of CyberSmart, suggests that weak passwords are one of the easiest ways for threat-actors to gain access to company networks. For this reason, businesses should implement strong password practices alongside multi-factor authentication. He recommends that businesses move toward a more holistic approach to their cybersecurity by regularly providing security awareness training and consistently updating software and implementing good cyber insurance. He also suggests implementing a password management solution to improve password hygiene as well as user experience if used alongside multi-factor authentication.

Liam Follin, CHECK Team Leader and Consultant at Pentest People, suggests that writing passwords down is fine for the average person as long as they avoid using the same password every time. He recommends using three things that are surrounding you at the time you’re creating the password and using those words with some symbols. He also advises using multi-factor authentication and not forgetting where you’ve created an account with a password and uploaded details.

Stu Sjouwerman, CEO at KnowBe4, believes that strong, unique passwords for any and all accounts are essential to protecting and securing privacy. He urges end-users and organizations to take password security seriously, warning that one cracked password can have detrimental effects on multiple aspects of life, both professionally and personally. To contribute to password security, KnowBe4 is launching a password kit that includes various user resources, including access to a free on-demand webinar, the most popular password whitepaper, password hacking demo videos, a password best practices guide, and more.

In conclusion, World Password Day is a reminder that we need to use strong passwords and practice good password hygiene to protect ourselves against unauthorized access and online data breaches. The cybersecurity experts’ tips on creating strong passwords, using password managers and multi-factor authentication, and implementing password policies that enforce compliance are essential in enhancing password security. With these practices in place, we can make significant progress towards a safer online environment.

Source link