Password Hygiene Rules

Poor password practices have emerged as a leading vulnerability among businesses and beyond, repeatedly contributing to more and more organizational data breaches. The biggest corporations aren’t spared; a worrisome share of trusted companies struggle with poor password hygiene and are constantly exposed to cyber threats and data breaches. One of the freshest studies on corporate password routines discloses that 100 of America’s best-trusted companies, with Apple, Nvidia, and American Express included, have experienced data breaches to date and have become a negative model for cybersecurity practices, raising skepticism in customers. Out of the studied companies, roughly 46% deal with employees who are simply reusing cracked passwords, or just tweaking the old credentials for the sake of solutioning, as if hackers couldn’t anticipate and compromise them again. We’re once again reminding you that hackers target business passwords because there’s usually a lot at stake:

• They can threaten or actually do compromise a reputable company’s image and improve the hacker’s standing in illegal but deep-pocketed circles
• They can exploit sensitive data like trade secrets or customer info and use it for ransom or blackmail, or just monetize the data
• They can directly steal financial goods and data or sell access to victims’ accounts on the dark web.

Looking to spread awareness about what to do to avoid unwanted incidents, we’d rather go through the best business password practices and tips you can effectively introduce in your company’s system. After all, caution is always better than trying quick fixes.

Use an enterprise-level password manager

Enterprises need more and more skill in fighting the issue of weak, unreliable password creation and management when it comes to accessing more accounts, on more devices, and among numerous employees. Every team member needs logins to carry out tasks, and without a system in place, they may resort to risky practices like sharing passwords over email or storing credentials in unsecured docs, exposing your business to serious security risks. A password manager for teams, however, is an excellent solution – a centralized, encrypted system created to ensure safe storing, organizing, and password sharing. Today’s password manager for business is easy to install and use, interactive for the non-techie to master, and highly effective if the tool is presented by a leading provider in cybersecurity solutions.

One of the best things about this tool is that it allows admins to set permissions that establish what files and pieces of content each employee has access to. For example, marketing staff may need access to social media logins, while the development team requires credentials for code repositories. Some platforms even allow you to provide access without ever revealing the actual password, which is especially useful for employees working for a pre-determined time period.

Educate your employees

Because human error continues to be one of the surest gateways to security breaches, educating your employees about good and bad password hygiene practices is crucial for reducing vulnerabilities. Training should preferably cover aspects like ways to dodge phishing attempts, the perils behind sharing passwords through unsafe channels, and the importance of using different, robust passwords for each and every account.

Regular sessions, awareness-raising campaigns, and simulation of phishing attempts can reinforce your lessons when done regularly, helping employees internalize the importance of following strong password rules and adopting them as part of their work routines. And if you’ll ask for feedback, you’re probably going to hear sighs of relief and contentment because aware employees are, too, concerned about how they can best protect sensitive information they’re entrusted with in order to avoid unpleasantries and taxations.

Why are they all talking about MFA?

Perhaps one of the most widespread catchphrases of these days in cybersecurity circles, multi-factor authentication (MFA) has emerged as one of the most efficient solutions to reduce the risk of account and data breaches, shifting from requesting a password to imposing two or more types of verification. Basically, this system adds an extra layer of security and frustrates hackers trying to gain access to info and accounts. Passwords aren’t everything – they can be cracked, guessed, stolen, or reused for more accounts, leaving your business vulnerable to hackers.

Even if a password is stolen, the hacker will still need an extra verification factor, such as a biometric scan or phone code, to access an account – things that your well-educated employees will know not to give away. Recent findings indicate that multi-factor authentication stops more than 99.2% of attacks trying to compromise accounts – this is a reason why Microsoft integrated MFA solutions into its operations last year.

Consider passwordless authentication

Passwordless authentication methods like one-time codes, passkeys, or biometrics have hit unshakeable levels of popularity these days, emerging as a safe and easy alternative to traditional passwords. They’re used to mitigate credential theft and phishing, improve user experience by eliminating password friction, and cut down on IT expenses, to name a few advantages.

Technologies such as the above-mentioned ones don’t rely on memorized credentials, so they’re less susceptible to phishing and credential-stuffing attacks. However, while widespread adoption is still in progress, organizations that look to explore and pilot these methods now will be better positioned to integrate them into their security frameworks as the technology matures, further strengthening their defense – and this is homework you can start doing just about now.

Conduct audits and updates

Password hygiene is a trump card you get to develop in time, and not a one-time effort. Organizations like yours would benefit from reviewing and updating policies constantly to determine how effective they are against the ever-evolving threats. This includes steps such as checking the efficiency of stored passwords, assessing employee compliance, and addressing vulnerabilities where they exist ASAP.

Endnote 

Businesses like yours must take a comprehensive and proactive approach to password hygiene this year, and the urgency only intensifies as cybercriminals’ skills only get more sophisticated – together with their tech tools. Enforcing strong, unique passwords, using business password managers, implementing MFA, educating employees, and exploring passwordless authentication solutions are all essential in safeguarding your business. Passwords remain these actors’ softest spot, which is why how you and your employees manage them can make the difference between a minor security incident and a catastrophic data breach.