Today, businesses of all sectors and sizes rely heavily on technology to operate efficiently, whether that be for storing customer information, using social media, having a website, or taking payments. But with sensitive customer data at potential risk, it is important for businesses to ensure that they prioritise cyber security and protect themselves online. In this blog, we explore why safer passwords are vital for businesses and provide tips to create and manage passwords effectively.
Weak passwords pose a significant risk to businesses, leaving them vulnerable to common cyber threats which include:
- Account Takeovers: weak passwords can be easily guessed or cracked by cyber criminals or their computer programmes, this can result in the hacker gaining unauthorised access to critical business functions leading to financial loss and reputational damage.
- Data Breaches: online criminals are constantly on the lookout for weak passwords to gain unauthorised access to business systems enabling them to steal sensitive data or hold to ransom.
At the NEBRC we work to encourage the following best practice for keeping secure passwords within your business:
- Use three random words. By combining three random words to create one long, strong single password such as (applemonkeyradiator), your password becomes much harder to crack and is much easier to remember.
- Implement two-Factor Authentication (2FA). Implementing 2FA across your business will add an extra layer of security by requiring a secondary verification method, sometimes this is a unique code sent to your mobile device. We can help you set this up!
- Put security policies in place. If you have strong password policies within your business, which includes regular updates and automatic password expiration intervals, this will help your team to understand the importance of cyber security.
- Use password managers. This is an app on your device which stores your passwords so that you don’t need to remember each one. Once you’ve logged in using one ‘master’ password, it can generate and remember passwords for all accounts.
- Host regular employee training. Regularly educating and training employees on the importance of strong passwords and the risks around weak, shared or reused passwords.
By keeping vigilant you can reduce the risk of you or your business falling victim to online crime. For further guidance drop us an email on [email protected].
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The NEBRC is an independent, police-led not-for-profit organisation that seeks to educate, inform, and support businesses in the North East, Yorkshire and The Humber regions on how to protect themselves from online crime and fraud through good cyber security practices.