NIST Password Standards
As most businesses rely heavily on technology to operate efficiently and serve their customers, we embrace the convenience of digital tools. It is crucial not to overlook one of the cornerstones of strong cybersecurity, password standards.
Using strong passwords to safeguard sensitive information and prevent unauthorized access to your business accounts and data is critical. The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) provides comprehensive guidelines for creating and maintaining
Strong Password Behavior
Strong password behavior is the foundation of many aspects of a cybersecurity program. There are still people that have the same password for all their accounts. As an MSP, you can’t be there when they create passwords to oversee the process. But you can enable measures that will force them to engage with good habits.
Breaking Down the Baseline Employee Cybersecurity Assessment – Password Hygiene
Our recent launch of the Baseline Employee Cybersecurity Assessment provides MSPs with a new tool to add to their prospecting and baseline risk detection efforts. As an MSP, it gives you the opportunity to show prospects and clients that human security plays a key role in protecting their organization and that without proper ongoing training, employees are an easy entry point for cybercriminals.
While a security risk assessment will identify gaps in a business environment, the human element should never be overlooked or assumed to be foolproof.
Changing our Attitudes About Password Security
Live and Learn
Most situations teach us lessons so that we don’t repeat damaging behaviors. For example, if you touch a hot stove, you know to pause and make sure it’s off before doing it again. If you run out of gas on a highway, on future drives, you’ll be on the lookout for a gas station anytime the tank hits the last notch. These are valuable lessons that mark a moment in time that we move onward from, and our behavior changes as a result.
Passwords: Why You Shouldn’t Reduce, Reuse & Recycle
The Excuses
 It’s not easy!
It’s a lot to keep track of.
I have no idea where I’ve used that before.
There’s nothing in there that anyone would want.
You want me to go back and change ALL of my accounts?
These are all responses when a user is told that their passwords need changed and updated because their credentials have been breached. And quite honestly, none of them justify the lack of action that is usually taken.
Uncovering Password Habits: Are Users’ Password Security Habits Improving? (Infographic)
Infographic by Digital Guardian
Article: 35% of LinkedIn users’ passwords are weak enough to hack
Although it is no secret that some significant breaches have occurred with cybercriminals stealing user’s information and passwords from sites like LinkedIn and Yahoo, business users continue using passwords that do not offer adequate protection, according to a study by Preempt. An article over on Tech Republic goes into detail about the poor password practices of LinkedIn users and just how easily a password can be compromised.
Video shows how easy it is to crack passwords
Video shows just how easy it is to crack passwords with free downloaded software. The video also shows how easy simple passwords are and how hard complex passwords are to crack.