We all know that passwords are the first line of defence in protecting our accounts. Furthermore, we all know we should have a different password for each of our logins. However, people fear creating various different passwords and not being able to remember them all. If a user forgets their password, not will not only have to reset their password if they forget it, but will then have to change it to something more memorable and thus, less secure. Unfortunately, users are less likely to create stronger passwords for multiple accounts and devices if they have experienced these difficulties before.
Password trends
The length of a password is one of the best ways that you can make your password secure.
There are two essential words to remember when creating a password: hyphens and spaces. These can and should be used. Hyphens and spaces combined with two or three words can ultimately, help you create an unintelligible phrase that can be transformed into a password.
Passwords should use a combination of lower case letters, upper case letters, numbers and special characters. Spaces and hyphens count as these special characters and individuals. Using these characters in passwords will always ensure that you use more than one word. Using spaces and hyphens can actually make it easier for you to create complex passwords. The use of these characters between words will help you achieve a longer password and more complex password however, it is advisable to not use these at the start or end of your password.
Did you know that the space bar on a keyboard has a distinctly different sound to the rest of your keys on your keyboard? Including one space in your password is best practice, but more than one may make it easier for shoulder surfers to identify any special characters in your passwords.
Some examples of passwords that use space or hyphens are:
T!m3Out 11
Br3@k-Ch0c0
Password policy in the workplace
For organisations, it is imperative that your users employ best practice when it comes to creating passwords. You should also consider implementing a password policy to ensure that all employees adhere to this when creating a password.
When creating a password policy, you should advise your staff that all passwords should be memorised and never written down or recorded along with any corresponding account information and/or usernames. Furthermore, when it is necessary to disseminate passwords in writing, appropriate measures should be taken to protect the password from unauthorised access (make your way to the shredder ASAP!).
All staff should report any suspicion on the protection of their password as well as reporting any persons whom requests or attempts to obtain their password.
MetaCompliance offer a range of eLearning solutions and policy management solutions that can help you combat poor passwords practice within your organisation.
Does this sound of interest to your organisation? Request an online demo for our Password Safety eLearning course or our Policy Management software. You can also contact us about availing of our Staff Awareness Services if you want to improve your compliance culture.
