Key principles of secure password management in the enterprise

Key principles of secure password management in the enterprise

A strong password is crucial for any enterprise, as it protects the most sensitive data and enables you to secure your systems from unauthorized access. In this article, we will discuss the most important principles of secure password management in an enterprise.

How to create a strong password? What mistakes should you beware of?

Wondering how to create a strong password? Here are some useful tips!

1. Use both lowercase and uppercase letters and numbers. Example: Pa$w0rd.
2. Avoid using obvious words such as first name, last name or company name.
3. Add special characters such as !, @, # or $.
4. Create a password that is longer than 8 characters. The longer, the better.
5. Avoid using the same password on different sites or applications.
6. Use password generation tools that can help you create strong passwords.

Remember that your password is your first line of defense against hackers and cybercriminals, so it’s important to make it as strong as possible.

Mistakes to watch out for:

• Using obvious words or phraseologisms, such as “password123” or “qwerty.”
• Using the same password on different sites or accounts.
• Sharing a password with others.
• Using personal information, such as first name, last name or date of birth, in a password.
• Lack of regular password changes.
• Using passwords consisting only of letters or only of numbers.
• Using passwords that are too short.
• Using dangerous tools that can reveal your password.

A strong password is the cornerstone of your online security, so it’s important to always take the proper precautions to protect your data.

What password management tools are worth using?

We realize that managing many different passwords is difficult and often causes users to abandon secure practices and use one or a few simple passwords for all their accounts. That’s why it makes sense to use professional password management tools – so let’s take a look at a few of them:

1. Password manager: such as LastPass, 1Password, Dashlane, etc. These are used to store passwords in one place, and the user needs to remember only one password – for his or her manager.
2. Browser integration: many browsers such as Chrome, Firefox, Edge, etc. have a built-in password management tool. This allows you to automatically save new passwords and automatically log in to websites.
3. Password generation tools: such as Strong Password Generator. They are used to generate strong and unique passwords that are difficult to crack.
4. Password synchronization tools: such as Sync Passwords. These are used to synchronize passwords between different devices.
5. Password checking tools: such as Have I Been Pwned. These are used to check whether a password has been stolen in the past.

Using these tools helps users maintain secure and unique passwords for all their accounts, which increases security.

Always use two-step verification

Two-step verification is an additional layer of security that allows the user to confirm their identity by entering a password and a one-time code generated by the app or sent to the phone number provided by the user. This ensures that if the password is stolen, a third party will not be able to log in without access to the user’s phone. This increases account security and protects against phishing and other methods of password attacks.

The latest trends in password security

It is worth mentioning the latest solutions that you can introduce into your enterprise to protect your most valuable information. These include:

• Authentication using biometrics – it is becoming increasingly popular to use fingerprint recognition, facial scans or voice recognition technology to authenticate users. This is more secure than traditional passwords, as they are harder to crack or steal.
• Protection with SSL/TLS certificates – SSL/TLS certificates are increasingly being used to encrypt Internet connections. This protects passwords and other sensitive data sent between the user and the server from theft.
• Protection by limiting the number of failed login attempts Autentification some password protection systems limit the number of failed login attempts. This prevents people trying to crack passwords from doing so for a long period of time, which increases the level of security.
• Protection through the use of remote authentication mechanisms Autentification’s use of remote authentication systems, such as authentication keys, tokens, proximity cards, allows for a higher level of security, since authentication is carried out by physical hardware and not just by password.
• Hashing and salting Authentication is a method of encrypting passwords that involves converting the password into a unique hash and adding a salt (a unique string of characters) to it.
• Random passwords Autentification is increasingly using tools that generate random passwords that are harder to crack than user-created passwords.
• Tokenization Autentification involves replacing a password with a token (string of characters) stored in a secure location, which increases the level of security.

It’s not worth waiting and putting yourself at risk – it’s important for users to be aware of these trends and apply them to their businesses.