The newest Dashlane report says that nearly 20% of all passwords are compromised. And 50% of people use the same password for multiple accounts. No wonder we have so many compromised accounts!
You need to stop if you’re one of the people using the same password for multiple accounts. It’s not safe, and it’s not worth the risk. Here are some tips to improve your password security.
What Makes a Password Strong?
The strength of a password is primarily determined by the length and complexity of the characters used.
A strong password should be at least eight characters long and include a mix of letters, numbers, and special symbols. It’s also essential to never use the same password for multiple accounts and to change your passwords regularly.
Use a Mix of Letters, Numbers, and Symbols
When creating a password, use a mix of letters, numbers, and symbols. This will make it more difficult for someone to guess your password.
Make It Long
The longer your password is, the more secure it will be. A good rule of thumb is to create a password at least eight to twelve characters long.
Avoid Using Dictionary Words
When creating a password, avoid using words that you can find in the dictionary. These words are easy for someone to guess.
Avoid Using Personal Information
Avoid using personal information such as your name, birth date, or address when creating a password. Someone who knows you can easily guess this information.
Avoid Using Easily Guessed Words
Avoid using easily guessed words such as “password” or “1234” when creating a password. People try these first passwords when trying to guess someone’s password.
Change Your Passwords Regularly
It is also important to change your passwords regularly. This will help to ensure that your accounts remain secure over time.
Can You Use the Same Strong Password for Multiple Accounts?
We mentioned earlier that over 50% of passwords are reused for different accounts. If one of your accounts is compromised, the hacker will be able to log in to your other accounts and steal your personal information or worse.
When creating a password, be sure to use different passwords for different accounts. This way, if one account is compromised, your other accounts will still be secure.
We know it’s difficult to remember strong passwords, but if you want to fortify your weakest security link, you need a different, strong password for every account.
Hackers often use stolen passwords to launch cyber attacks against other people or organizations. So if you use the same password on multiple accounts, and one of your accounts is compromised, the hacker will be able to log in to your other accounts and steal your personal information or worse.
To protect yourself, using different passwords for each of your online accounts is essential. And it’s also a good idea to use a password manager to help you keep track of all your passwords.
Secure Your Passwords
As we can see from the data in the Dashlane report, using strong passwords is more important than ever. When creating your passwords, be sure to use a mix of letters, numbers, and symbols. Make them long and avoid using easily guessed words or personal information. And most importantly, change your passwords regularly!
Are you ready to upgrade your cyber defense arsenal? Pegasus Technologies Secure Password Vault is a cloud-based solution that stores credentials in an encrypted vault. Each vault contains folders and subfolders to help keep your credentials organized as you wish. Folders can be selectively shared with your team members to help improve the security of shared passwords. You can access your vault from any device. Contact us today to learn more about adding Pegasus Password Vault.
