Password encryption is essential to store user credentials stored in a database securely. Without password encryption, anyone accessing a user database on a company's servers (including hackers) could easily view any stored passwords.
Even a strong 32-character password created using a <a href="https://teampassword.com/password-generator">secure password generator</a> is useless without password-encryption! If someone can read your password on a server, they can use it simply by copy/pasting it&mdash;no matter how long or complicated the password might be!
Encryption scrambles your password before saving it on the server. So, if someone hacks the server, instead of finding password123, they find a random series of letters and numbers.
In this article, we're going to explore the world of password encryption, why <a href="https://teampassword.com/blog/tips-and-tricks-to-create-a-strong-password">strong passwords matter</a>, and how you can practice better password management!
<a href="https://app.teampassword.com/dashboard#signup/testimonial">TeamPassword</a> is the password management solution for small businesses! Create, store, and share login credentials safely with employees, contractors, and clients. <a href="https://app.teampassword.com/dashboard#signup/testimonial">Sign up for a 14-day free trial</a> today!
&rlm;&rlm;&lrm; &lrm;[Table of Contents]
<ul>
<li><a href="#understandingpasswordencryption" rel="follow">Understanding Password Encryption</a></li>
<li><a href="#howdoespasswordencryptionwork" rel="follow">How Does Password Encryption Work?</a></li>
<li><a href="#5commonpasswordencryptionmethods" rel="follow">5 Common Password Encryption Methods</a></li>
<li><a href="#whystrongpasswordsmatter" rel="follow">Why Strong Passwords Matter</a></li>
</ul>
<h2 id="understandingpasswordencryption">Understanding Password Encryption</h2>
To explain password encryption effectively, we must first grasp the language. Several terms might be unfamiliar, so here is a quick intro to password encryption terminology.
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Key: Used to lock and unlock passwords using a random string of bits. You get private and public keys that crypt and decrypt data differently, but we won't get too deep in the weeds with keys!</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Bits: A logical state with one of two possible values, including 1/0, true/false, yes/no, or on/off as typical examples.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Block (block cipher): A deterministic algorithm operating on fixed-length groups of bits, called blocks.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Hash function: The algorithm that uses the key to create password encryption and decryption. A hash function is essentially a piece of code that runs every time someone saves a password or logs into an application.&nbsp;</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Hash: A random series of numbers and letters representing your password. The hash function uses your hash instead of the raw password for authentication.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Salt: Additional letters and numbers appended to the hash</li>
</ul>
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<h2 id="howdoespasswordencryptionwork">How Does Password Encryption Work?</h2>
When you save a new password, a hash function creates a hash version and saves that on the server.&nbsp;
Every time you log in using your password, the hash function recreates the hash to see if it matches what's stored. If the hashes match, the algorithm passes the authentication and logs you in.&nbsp;
For example:
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Original password: Pa$$w0rd123</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Hashed password: 6AF1CE202340​FE71BDB914AD5357​E33A6982A63B</li>
</ul>
While this might seem secure, simple hashed passwords aren't hack-proof.
The hash function only creates a unique hash for each password, not each user. So, if multiple users have the password, Pa$$w0rd123, the hash will be exactly the same.
To overcome this encryption vulnerability, engineers salt passwords so each hash is unique, even if the passwords are identical.
<h3>How Salt Works</h3>
A salt appends a unique value of 8 bytes (16 characters) to the password before the hash function creates a hash. This way, even identical passwords are unique before the hash function.
For example:
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Two identical passwords: Pa$$w0rd123</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Salt value one: E1F53135E559C253</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Salt value two: 84B03D034B409D4E</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Password one before hash: Pa$$w0rd123E1F53135E559C253</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Password two before hash: Pa$$w0rd12384B03D034B409D4E</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Password one hashed value (SHA256): 72AE25495A7981​C40622D49F9A52E4F15​65C90F048F59027BD9​C8C8900D5C3D8</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Password two hashed value (SHA256): B4B6603ABC670​967E99C7E7F1389E40​CD16E78AD38EB1468E​C2AA1E62B8BED3A</li>
</ul>
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<h2 id="5commonpasswordencryptionmethods">5 Common Password Encryption Methods</h2>
<h3>1. Data Encryption Standard (DES)</h3>
While applications no longer use Data Encryption Standard (DES), it's important to mention this password encryption method because of its history and influence on more secure modern standards.
IBM developed DES as a 56-bit encryption technology in the early 1970s. The NSA adopted and improved DES before it was approved worldwide as the encryption standard.
However, since the late 70s, hackers have been able to break DES encrypted passwords. In 1999, ethical hackers managed to break a DES key in under 24 hours.&nbsp;
To make DES more secure, engineers created Triple DES and later Advanced Encryption Standard (AES), which we still use today.
<h3>2. Triple DES</h3>
Triple DES uses three 56-bit keys (blocks) to create 168-bit encryption (some security experts argue that Triple DES is only 112 bits strong). Although Triple-DES is slowly being phased out, many financial institutions still use it to encrypt ATM PINs.
<h3>3. Advanced Encryption Standard (AES)</h3>
AES is the new encryption standard&mdash;trusted by the United States Government and many other prominent organizations globally. At 128 bits, AES is sufficiently secure, but most organizations prefer heavy-duty 256-bit encryption.
At <a href="https://teampassword.com/security">TeamPassword</a>, we use 256-bit encryption to store passwords, ensuring the highest levels of security for our clients. We're also a <a href="https://teampassword.com/security">secure hosting provider</a> holding multiple security accreditations.
Hackers can only break an AES encrypted password through a brute-force attack&mdash;trying password combinations to find the right one.
To counter brute-force attacks, applications will lock an account after a certain number of attempts or use tools like Google's reCAPTURE.
<h3>4. Blowfish</h3>
American cryptographer, Bruce Schneier, designed Blowfish in 1993 as an antidote to the weak DES encryption. Blowfish uses a 64-bit block and variable key length of 32 to 448 bits.
Although Blowfish is more robust than its DES predecessor, the 64-bit block is still vulnerable to attacks, most commonly birthday attacks&mdash;a cryptographic attack that exploits the mathematics behind the algorithm.
To solve Blowfish vulnerabilities, engineers created Twofish in 1998 (128-bit blocks with 256-bit keys) and Threefish in 2008 (256, 516, 1024-bit blocks with 256, 516, 1024-bit keys).
<h3>5. Rivest-Shamir-Adleman (RSA)</h3>
RSA is one of the oldest and widely used to transfer data securely. The encryption works with two keys, two large prime numbers, and an additional auxiliary value.
Due to the complicated encrypting and decrypting process, there is no known method for breaking RSA encryption.&nbsp;
Although widely used for transferring data, RSA is slow and not suitable for password encryption.
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<h2 id="whystrongpasswordsmatter">Why Strong Passwords Matter</h2>
Password encryption can only prevent criminals from viewing saved credentials stored on a server&mdash;but cannot prevent hackers from guessing weak/commonly used passwords. If you <a href="https://teampassword.com/blog/colonial-pipeline-ransomware-attack-dont-reuse-passwords">reuse the same password for multiple accounts</a>, this also puts you at risk!
Encryption is most effective when users create robust, unique passwords for every account. For example, a random 32-character password with letters, numbers, and special characters hashed and salted is near impossible to guess or decode, even using a computer!
In another scenario, let's assume you have a strong 32-character password, but you use it for every account. If hackers manage to steal that password, they have access to every account using the same credentials! Your strong password is effectively useless.
<h3>Improving Your Password Management</h3>
Now that you understand password encryption and the associated vulnerabilities, you can see why strong passwords are essential.
Effective password management is crucial to protect yourself against cyberattacks or in the highly likely event of a data breach where hackers steal your credentials.
Criminals are after the low-hanging fruit&mdash;people who use weak passwords!
5 tips for creating stronger passwords:
<ol>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Create strong passwords for every account. The easiest way to do this is using a password generator. <a href="https://teampassword.com/password-generator">TeamPassword has a free password generator</a> anyone can use to create passwords from 12-32 characters using uppercase, lowercase, numbers, and special characters. We recommend creating passwords as long as the application will allow.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Never create passwords shorter than eight characters, with 12 being our recommended minimum.&nbsp;</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Never reuse the same password for multiple accounts.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Never create passwords with your name, family member's names, or pet's names. With social media, this information is freely available. Criminals can add those names to algorithms for brute-force attacks.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Don't store passwords in digital notepads or spreadsheets. We recommend using a <a href="https://app.teampassword.com/dashboard#signup/testimonial">password manager like TeamPassword</a> to create and store your credentials.</li>
</ol>
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<h2>Why You Need a Password Manager like TeamPassword</h2>
We have so many accounts these days; it's almost impossible to create unique, memorable, secure passwords for each one. A password manager solves this problem.
Instead of remembering the credentials for every account, you only need to memorize the one to log into your password manager.&nbsp;
TeamPassword keeps all of your credentials safely stored and encrypted, so you never have to memorize a password again. Instead of entering your credentials, you use one of TeamPassword's browser extensions (Chrome, Firefox, and Safari) to log into accounts.
<h3>Built for Teams</h3>
TeamPassword's best feature is its ability to share credentials with team members securely. Instead of sharing passwords, you provide access through TeamPassword.&nbsp;
Employees <a href="https://app.teampassword.com/dashboard#signup/testimonial">use TeamPassword</a> to log in, meaning you never share raw passwords&mdash;no more worrying about unauthorized access or sharing.
You can create groups in TeamPassword to share access with employees, clients, contractors, and freelancers. When someone no longer needs access, remove them from the group with a single click. No need to change passwords every time someone leaves a project!
<h3>Built-In Password Generator</h3>
TeamPassword features a built-in secure password manager so you can create robust passwords for every account. TeamPassword also ensures you never reuse the same credentials so that you won't fall victim to credential stuffing attacks!
With a built-in password generator, you can change passwords regularly, and TeamPassword will update the new credentials for all users!
<h3>Monitor Login Activity</h3>
TeamPassword's activity log keeps track of every action across all of your accounts&mdash;logins, password changes, new team members, sharing access, and more.
You can also set up email notifications for all TeamPassword actions so that you can react fast to any suspicious activity.
<h3>Get Your Free TeamPassword Trial</h3>
Password encryption is not enough to protect your business from password vulnerabilities! You need a robust password manager like TeamPassword to create, store, and share credentials securely.
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<a href="https://app.teampassword.com/dashboard#signup/testimonial">Sign up for a 14-day free trial</a> and let TeamPassword secure your company's digital assets.

Password encryption is the number one component of password security. TeamPassword encrypts passwords with state-of-the-art technology to keep passwords safe.

Password encryption is the number one component of password security. TeamPassword encrypts passwords with state-of-the-art technology to keep ...

What is password encryption and how much is enough?

What is password encryption and how does it work?

We love Google. It can be used daily to search, email, store, and share documents and keep our lives in and outside of work more organized. Honestly, how did we ever function without it?
For a company that has no system in place to keep track of their passwords, then Google Sheets is a great place to start. It allows you to separate, label, and categorize, plus it autosaves your work. It gives some level of access control as to who can view, edit, and comment on a document. It's free, and almost everyone is already using it.
[Table of Contents]
<ul>
<li><a href="#issheetssecure" rel="follow">Is Google Sheets Secure?</a></li>
<li><a href="#whynotsheets" rel="follow">Why You Should Not Store Passwords in Google Sheets</a>
<ul>
<li><a href="#security" rel="follow">Security</a></li>
<li><a href="#operations" rel="follow">Operations</a></li>
<li><a href="#convenience" rel="follow">Convenience</a></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h2 id="issheetssecure">Is Google Sheets Secure?</h2>
The question of Google Sheet's security often arises due to the sensitive data that users might store within these sheets. Let's delve into whether Google Sheets is secure or not, along with supporting reasons for both sides.&nbsp;
Ways Google Sheets is secure:
1. Data Encryption: Google Sheets employs strong encryption protocols to protect your data while it's being transferred and stored on their servers. This helps ensure that unauthorized parties cannot easily access your information.
2. Two-Factor Authentication (2FA): Google offers 2FA, an additional layer of security that requires you to provide a second form of verification, usually a code sent to your phone, when logging into your account. This prevents unauthorized access even if your password is compromised.
3. Access Controls: Google Sheets provides you with granular control over who can access your documents. You can share sheets with specific individuals, granting them view or edit permissions, or keep them entirely private.
Ways Google Sheets is not secure:
1. Data Breaches: While Google has stringent security measures in place, no system is entirely immune to data breaches. There have been instances of high-profile breaches affecting various Google services, raising concerns about the safety of stored data.
2. Third-Party Add-ons: Google Sheets allows third-party add-ons that can sometimes access your data. While Google vets these add-ons to some extent, there's still a possibility that a malicious add-on could compromise your data's security.
3. Account Compromise: If your Google account is compromised, unauthorized individuals could potentially gain access to your Google Sheets. This is why it's crucial to maintain a strong, unique password and enable 2FA.

<h2 id="whynotsheets">Why You Should Not Store Passwords in Google Sheets&nbsp;</h2>
There are three main areas of concern when Google Sheets becomes the sole keeper of your passwords.
<h3 id="security">#1. Security</h3>
<blockquote>
The fact that you've taken the initiative to create an access-restricted spreadsheet shows that you are aware of the need to be secure and have taken steps to ensure that. Whilst Google Sheets is more reliable than sticky notes or Excel spreadsheets, things can get complicated quickly when you start using a Google spreadsheet for highly sensitive or work-related passwords. As soon as you hire someone who doesn't need access to everything &mdash; or fire someone who had access to everything, then that's when a safety hazard occurs.
</blockquote>
<h3 id="operations">#2. Operations</h3>
<blockquote>
If you don&rsquo;t want everyone to have total control over the Google Spreadsheet, you'll need to create different spreadsheets for different accounts to control who can read/write each spreadsheet. You may want to give someone "view only" access, but when their job requires them to create a new account for the company, they'll have to find the document's owner to update that login information in the spreadsheet. Giving everyone editing access exposes the spreadsheet and the sensitive data it keeps to human error and malicious opportunities.
</blockquote>
<h3 id="convenience">#3. Convenience</h3>
<blockquote>
Having multiple spreadsheets with different security levels requires more management and more time to maintain &mdash; valuable time that you could apply to your role.
Once you start managing clients' information, you open a door that'll lead to more complications. Clients trust that their information is being correctly handled and securely stored. To ensure accountability, you're going to need better processes in place.
<img src="https://cdn.buttercms.com/n08yKOIWRpyyDu2o66WX" alt="undefined" width="601" height="338" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;">
</blockquote>
These are just a few examples of situations where using a Google spreadsheet is inefficient and inconvenient. A password manager like TeamPassword can vastly improve your company's security processes, increase efficiency, and step-up security. TeamPassword lets you easily create groups to manage who has access to what, write detailed labels to distinguish accounts used by several clients, and quickly onboard new employees and clients by giving or removing access in just a few clicks. Our <a href="https://teampassword.com/features">browser extensions</a> allow you to access all your login information right in your browser window without interrupting your workflow.
Ready to step up your data security? See why TeamPassword is your best option to securely store and share your passwords by starting <a href="https://app.teampassword.com/dashboard?utm_source=blog&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_campaign=bcms#signup/testimonial">our free 14-day trial </a>today!

We love Google. But there are three main areas of concern when Google Sheets becomes the sole keeper of your passwords.

We love Google. But there are three main areas of concern when Google Sheets becomes the sole keeper ...

Is Google Sheets Secure | Dangers of Storing Sensitive Data

We love Google. But there are three main areas of concern when Google Sheets becomes the sole keeper of your passwords. A password manager like TeamPassword can vastly improve your company's security processes, increase efficiency, and step-up security.

One of the long-term effects of the recent pandemic is <a href="https://www.digitalcommerce360.com/article/coronavirus-impact-online-retail/" rel="follow noopener" target="_blank" style="color: #40d8e3;">online holiday shopping</a> which increases the likelihood of a cyberattack. With the holiday season quickly approaching, staying safe when shopping online is essential. <a href="https://www.helpnetsecurity.com/2022/02/16/fraud-activity-level/" rel="follow noopener" target="_blank" style="color: #40d8e3;">Reports</a> show that online scamming is at an all-time high and there are no signs of a decline.
Let&rsquo;s imagine a few scenarios.
<ol>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">You get an email from Target saying they are offering gift cards and all you have to do is submit your card information, and boom, a free Target gift card.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">You receive a text alerting you about Dillard&rsquo;s online sale that is only available via their link so you can knock out some early Christmas shopping.&nbsp;</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">You get a pop-up ad from that one website you use to watch free movies offering free Visa cards.&nbsp;</li>
</ol>
You might think, &ldquo;Wow, this is too good to be true!&rdquo; And that&rsquo;s our first rule of thumb: if an offer is too good to be true, it&rsquo;s probably a scam.&nbsp;
Let&rsquo;s look at how scammers use the enthusiasm and good feelings of the holidays to deceive online shoppers.
<h2>Don&rsquo;t Open Unfamiliar Links</h2>
Phishing is a prevalent social engineering technique used by many malicious actors where they send fraudulent messages to trick victims into sending sensitive information like passwords or credit card information. These messages often come in the form of text messages or emails.&nbsp;
Here are a few ways to check if you are a victim of a phishing attack:
<h3>Check the sender&nbsp;</h3>
Circling back to the scenario used in the beginning, if you get an email from a company like Target, you should first check the email's sender. Being a Target shopper, I get tons of emails about sales and deals. I can tell you, Target&rsquo;s official email is targetnews@em.target.com.
Malicious actors create emails similar to official business emails to make it seem legitimate. For example, they might use target@targetnews.com or marketing@targett.com.
Look for spelling or grammatical errors. If you&rsquo;re still not sure whether it&rsquo;s real, do a quick search for it on the web, check the company&rsquo;s website, or reach out the company directly to verify its authenticity.
You can also verify company phone numbers, which aren&rsquo;t as easy to identify as emails. Simply type the number into Google to see whether the number is connected to the company.
<h3>Check the Link</h3>
Most scam sites have spelling errors, and many are ridiculously long. Those are easy giveaways.
<h3>Does the Link Text Match the Site?</h3>
Some cybercriminals may show a different website than what the link will take you to. Hover over the link or copy and paste it into a browser instead of clicking the link. That way, you can see and review the actual link before being brought to it.&nbsp;
<h3>Is the Site Encrypted?</h3>
It&rsquo;s also wise to note if the site is encrypted. To tell whether the site is encrypted or not, look at the search bar where the URL is written.
<img src="https://cdn.buttercms.com/RmzRIkTfSCij3bw8khS1" alt="undefined" width="726" height="72" />
Do you notice how the site has the padlock and an &ldquo;HTTPS&rdquo; address? That tells you that the site is encrypted. This means that any data you transmit to the site, be it your login information or credit card number, is protected from third parties. It will stay between you and the operators of the website.&nbsp;
If you encounter a website that isn&rsquo;t encrypted, the connection is not secure, which means the information you transmit could be intercepted by a third party. Find another site to shop from.
Unfortunately, this doesn&rsquo;t guarantee that every site with a padlock and HTTPS address is safe. As <a href="https://www.kaspersky.com/blog/https-does-not-mean-safe/20725/" rel="follow noopener" target="_blank">Kasperksy</a> makes note, &ldquo;... the green lock and the issued certificate say nothing about the site itself. A phishing page can just as readily get a certificate and encrypt all traffic that flows between you and it.&rdquo;
So, while it&rsquo;s important to only shop on encrypted sites, you cannot rely solely on the encryption indicators as a signal of what is safe and what isn&rsquo;t.&nbsp;
<h2>An Example of How to Dissect a Phishing Text</h2>
Let&rsquo;s dissect this text I received and the steps I used to conclude it was fake:
<img src="https://cdn.buttercms.com/PPY8DpLvTo2HZkgRt7x8" alt="undefined" width="418" height="318" />
First: I Googled the number, and no information regarding a company came up. That troubled me.
Second: I noticed that the link looked suspicious.&nbsp;
When receiving a text or email with a link, whether it be a &ldquo;package not delivered&rdquo; or a &ldquo;black Friday sale&rdquo; link, if the URL looks suspicious, it probably is. The URL in the text message above shows no indication of what company I could be receiving a package from.&nbsp;
Third: The text has awful grammar. Think about it, businesses invest heavily in marketing. Are they likely to overlook glaring grammatical errors? Probably not.
Four: Contextualize the message you are receiving. I wasn&rsquo;t expecting a package, so the message was out of place.&nbsp;
Five: Off to the junk folder it went!
<h2>Don&rsquo;t Purchase from Suspicious Sites</h2>
What if you find yourself on a website you&rsquo;ve never heard of before? Maybe they&rsquo;re offering the best deal, or you believe you're supporting a local business. Hold on! You&rsquo;ll want to check a few things before trusting them with your address and credit card.&nbsp;
<h3>Check the Reviews</h3>
Checking reviews is a crucial part of identifying scam websites. Many scam websites will have fake reviews. Often, there will be multiple reviews posted simultaneously with the same keywords.&nbsp;
On the contrary, a legitimate company will have a variety of reviews. <a href="https://www.fakespot.com/" rel="follow noopener" target="_blank" style="color: #40d8e3;">FakeSpot</a> is a great tool that uses AI to calculate whether or not a product has fake or legit reviews.&nbsp;
Another trick is to search Reddit for the website to see if anyone has reported a bad experience. Treat these with a grain of salt, however, as a malicious website creator could use various accounts to respond to a Reddit question, making their website seem legit.
<h3>Check Copyright Information&nbsp;</h3>
A legitimate site will have updated copyright and contact information. This is crucial because if the company has no contact details, what do you do if you have an issue with the product? <a href="https://smallbusiness.chron.com/copyright-laws-important-52601.html" rel="follow noopener" target="_blank">Copyright</a> helps identify the owner of a company or product. Most websites host their copyright information at the bottom of the home page.&nbsp;
<img src="https://cdn.buttercms.com/FzgrVkM2TaWNqLylyUTk" width="539" height="47" />
<h2>Use A Password Manager</h2>
If you have online accounts that require logins, you should use a password manager.&nbsp;
A password manager prevents your accounts from getting hacked by safely securing your logins. <a href="https://app.teampassword.com/dashboard#signup/features" rel="follow noopener" target="_blank" style="color: #40d8e3;">TeamPassword</a> is an easy-to-use password manager for teams. Every user on the account has the option to keep private records, like their personal Amazon account information. Team admins can also create groups to share logins with multiple users, making access to team accounts a breeze.
I've accumulated hundreds of accounts over the years. A password manager allows me to have unique, strong passwords for each account while eliminating the impossible task of remembering those unique passwords that may only get used once or twice a year.
<h2>Creating Unique Strong Passwords</h2>
Creating a strong password is simple, especially with a <a href="https://teampassword.com/password-generator" rel="follow noopener" target="_blank">password generator</a>. But remembering those passwords is another thing. While using the same password for multiple accounts is tempting, it&rsquo;s important not to. If a malicious actor were to get access to one account, gaining access to the rest would be much easier.&nbsp;
If password generators aren&rsquo;t your thing, try using a <a href="https://teampassword.com/blog/how-to-build-a-passphrase" rel="follow noopener" target="_blank" style="color: #40d8e3;">passphrase</a> instead. Simply put, a passphrase is similar to a password but uses more characters from memorable items for increased security. Here are a few examples of what passphrases can look like.&nbsp;
It could be random: A11ig@torsWithRed$weaters
Or it could be of one of your interests: R3*dingCl*ssicLit3r*ture_
They pretty much look like censored curse words. But, since I built these phrases myself, I'll be able to remember them quickly. And just like that, I now have two 25-character passwords!
<h1>In Conclusion</h1>
The bottom line is that scammers aren&rsquo;t going anywhere. It&rsquo;s up to us to follow protocols that will keep us safe online. Take the time to check that those good deals are legit, use a password manager, and only click on links from expected, verified emails and messages.
If we can all follow these simple cybersecurity practices, we can all shop with a little more peace of mind come Cyber Monday.&nbsp;

Follow these simple cybersecurity tips to shop with a little more peace of mind this Black Friday and Cyber Monday.

Follow these simple cybersecurity tips to shop with a little more peace of mind this Black Friday and ...

How to Avoid Black Friday and Cyber Monday Scams

Passwords are everywhere&hellip;. Whether logging into our computers, email accounts, social media accounts, or bank accounts, passwords are used to secure our lives online and the companies we work for. Given this reality, it's vital to the security interests of our businesses and ourselves that we choose strong passwords whenever possible. In this post, I will discuss the idea of "password strength" &ndash; what it means, how it differs from complexity, how password strength applies to security, and what you can do to make your passwords more robust and easier to manage.

<h2>Password strength vs. password complexity</h2>
Let's start by talking about a couple of scenarios you have likely found yourself in:
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">You sign up for an account or change your password online, where the site gives you feedback regarding strength. Usually, it's symbolized by a line or dot that changes from red (weak), yellow (decent), and green (strong).</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">You sign up for an online account or change your password on an account where a certain amount of complexity is required for a password to be accepted: minimum length, maximum length, special characters, capital letters, numbers, etc.</li>
</ul>
So, when it comes to creating passwords, what do these terms, strength, and complexity mean?
There certainly exists some overlap between the ideas of strength and complexity in passwords. A password like P@ssw0rd might meet the complexity requirements listed above, but it certainly isn't strong. You might ask yourself, "Why isn't that a strong password? Didn't it meet complexity requirements?"&nbsp;
The short answer is that while P@ssw0rd met some arbitrary complexity requirements, it isn't a strong password because it's easy to guess, even with two letters replaced with a unique character and a number, respectively. The password features predictable substitutions, which is the beginning of why it's not a strong password, which would be awful for you if a malicious actor were to try and gain access to one of your accounts using this password. Regarding passwords and how secure they can be, there are some things we can control and others we cannot. Let's start by exploring the things you cannot control.
&nbsp;
<h3>What you can't control</h3>

<ol>
<li> How online services store their users' passwords. 
When you sign up for an account with some online service, they likely will not tell you how they are keeping your account's password, and even if the sites did, you aren't able to change how.&nbsp;
Hopefully, every online service you subscribe to uses a secure&nbsp;password hashing algorithm&nbsp;to obscure your password before they store it. There are many different approaches to hashing passwords; some are more secure than others, and an essential difference between algorithms is how fast or slow they are.&nbsp;
Ideally, your password is hashed using a robust, slow algorithm because an attacker would be constrained in the number of attempts per second/minute they would be able to make if it takes for a server to verify whether a given password was correct or not. This difference in speed is another reason why having a strong password is so important: if you take the time to generate a strong password (long, difficult to guess), it will take much longer for an attacker to guess your password correctly. Unfortunately, some online services don't hash passwords at all, which means passwords are stored in plain text that can be read by anyone with access to the database where user information is stored, which leaves your password completely exposed if a malicious actor was able to get the contents of a service's passwords.
</li>
</ol>

<ol start="2">
<li> How an attack is executed. In the last point, I referenced how an attack (something you cannot control) can affect a password's security. Hackers can employ various tools, strategies, and hardware in an attack. If an attacker can generate 10 thousand attempts per second, there is an extremely high likelihood that a hacker will crack a short but complex password in a reasonable amount of time. </li>
</ol>

<h3>What you can control</h3>
Now that you've seen many things you cannot control regarding passwords, let's explore what you can do to mitigate your exposure to the things you can't control.
&nbsp;
<ol>
<li> How passwords are generated and stored. A good password manager will store passwords in an encrypted state and use a robust and secure algorithm to generate passwords for you. The combination of these two things is the most straightforward step you can take to improve your overall password strength and security. For example, our password manager&nbsp;<a href="https://www.teampassword.com/">Team Password</a>&nbsp;offers a password generation tool with options to specify password length and character sets. TeamPassword makes it easy to&nbsp;<a href="https://teampassword.com/password-generator">generate</a>&nbsp;and save secure passwords for any service you use. Additionally, Team Password encrypts all passwords with a "master key" (that you set) before sending them to their servers, so no one can read them unless they have your master key.</li>
</ol>
<img src="https://cdn.buttercms.com/oKH7J9zGSNCViDKevXKj" alt="undefined" />
<ol>
<li>
How passwords are shared within your business.&nbsp; 
One common and insecure practice that I've seen companies employ is to keep a spreadsheet of passwords to company services that are shared with everyone in the company, which is dangerous for several reasons, namely, that it doesn't allow for any granularity in who can see/use passwords in the company. Here is another area where a password manager is desirable, as it can provide essential access controls to company account passwords.
</li>
<li>
Don't reuse passwords across accounts.&nbsp; 
Because there are things we cannot control, limiting the impact of a password being leaked or stolen is essential. The best way to defend against this possibility is to use a unique password for every service that requires a password. By never reusing a password, you limit the scope of impact that a single stolen password could have on your business.&nbsp;

In many cases, when a large group of passwords is stolen, they are leaked or sold online, and you can guarantee that some attackers will take that information and try it on more services than the one from which a hacker stole the password.
</li>
<li>
Use Two-factor authentication wherever possible&nbsp; 
These services require users to enter the second piece of information to identify themselves. 2FA is often a series of numbers that changes every minute or so. Not all services offer this, but it should be employed wherever possible.
</li>
</ol>
What to take away:
While we've barely scratched the surface of all the possible topics we could include when it comes to just passwords, I hope I've demonstrated the importance that passwords play in our daily life and how easily we can improve our security just by knowing what a secure password is and how to generate one.&nbsp;
I don't believe there is any one right way to create a password, but I strongly suggest using a password manager.&nbsp;
Our Team Password product offers a <a href="https://app.teampassword.com/dashboard#signup">14-day free trial</a>, so if you aren't already using a password manager, I hope you'll try them. Even if you don't use a password manager, you've seen how password padding can allow you to generate memorable and secure passwords.

Passwords are something nearly all of us use daily. Whether logging into our computers, email accounts, social media accounts, or bank accou

Passwords are something nearly all of us use daily. Whether logging into our computers, email accounts, social media ...

Password Best Practices: What Makes a Strong Password?

Passwords are something nearly all of us use daily. Whether logging into our computers, email accounts, social media accounts, or bank accounts, passwords are used to secure our lives online and the companies we work for. Given this reality, it's vital to the security interests of our businesses and ourselves that we choose strong passwords whenever possible. In this post, I will discuss the idea of "password strength" – what it means, how it differs from complexity, how password strength applies to security, and what you can do to make your passwords more robust and easier to manage.

It's the 21st century. Our data is online, and hackers are constantly improving their craft. It's never been more important to be sure that your team is doing everything in their power to protect your business. There are plenty of resources to help you stay informed and keep up with the latest cybersecurity trends, but how do you turn that information into something useful and get your team involved? Here are a few tips that can help.
<h2>The benefits of a security-aware culture</h2>
When it comes to cyberattacks, employees are the first line of defense. Lack of securing your business can lead to data loss, corruption, and theft. In 2021, there were <a href="https://iapp.org/news/a/record-number-of-data-breaches-in-2021/#:~:text=Last%20year%20saw%20the%20highest,2017's%20previous%20record%20of%201%2C506.">1,862</a> security breaches, up 68% compared to 2020. Cybercrime costs the world economy $600 billion annually and is set to cost <a href="https://cybersecurityventures.com/hackerpocalypse-cybercrime-report-2016/">10.5 trillion</a> by 2025. These stats, and others compiled by <a href="https://parachutetechs.com/2022-cyber-attack-statistics-data-and-trends/" title="Parachute 2022 cyber attack statistics data and trends" rel="follow noopener" target="_blank">Parachute</a>, are shocking and paint a clear picture - now is the time to care about cybersecurity.&nbsp;
Nobody wants to be a victim. Thankfully, cyber-attacks are preventable. Invest in your business by making your team aware of how crucial it is to take cybersecurity seriously.&nbsp;
<h2>What to teach your team about cyber security</h2>
<h3>1 - Social Engineering (Phishing)</h3>
Social engineering --also known as phishing --- refers to many psychological manipulation attacks that manipulate team members into sharing sensitive information or installing malicious software. Social engineering can be tough to identify, especially if you don't know much about it. Even government employees and multinational professionals fall prey.
Criminals often use email to launch phishing attacks, but they can also use text, social media, phone calls, and other communication methods. Phishing attacks often involve criminals impersonating someone else, such as a cousin, Nigerian prince, or even your boss, to trick employees into revealing sensitive data.
Teach your team to check and double-check where emails are coming from, especially if they seem out of character. If the email contains a link, DON'T CLICK IT. Criminals play off of peoples' habit of clicking links right away. Instead, encourage your team to hover over the link and check the URL first. If it looks fishy, it probably is. Unsure? Ask. Pick up the phone and ask the sender if the email came from them. That's old-school 2FA.
So next time you get an email from a secret admirer at work or promotion by email, give it a second thought. If it seems too good to be true, it probably is.
<h3>2 - Brute Force Attacks</h3>
When hackers reach a site that requires a login, they use automated tools to crawl through it, trying username and password combinations until they find a match. Weak usernames and passwords, like those that use a company's name or employee's nickname, give attackers half the information they need to hack your credentials.&nbsp;
Encourage your team to use <a href="https://teampassword.com/blog/best-types-of-usernames-username-ideas-to-make-your-logins-more-secure">unique usernames</a> and a <a href="https://teampassword.com/password-generator">password generator</a> to make their login credentials more secure. Automated hacking tools are less likely to crack credentials that randomly combine letters, numbers, and characters. But there's more you can do to protect your site!
Using captcha technology, such as Google ReCaptcha, which helps distinguish humans from computers., and <a href="https://teampassword.com/blog/password-manager-with-2fa">two-step authorization</a> (2FA) further slows down brute force attacks, often stopping them in their tracks.&nbsp;
Logins are the gate to your data; they need to be protected at all costs.
<h3>3 - Good Password Management&nbsp;</h3>
Most company data is stored in different software and online tools secured by logins. How you manage and share these logins is another key to online security. Most password managers only gatekeep personal records and require installation and configuration. <a href="https://teampassword.com/pricing">TeamPassword</a> was designed with ease of use and collaboration in mind. Not only can TeamPassword users store their personal logins securely, but they can also quickly and safely share logins with teams.
Good password managers keep your data safe by encrypting your logins the moment they are saved before transmitting them to a server for storage so that even the company managing your passwords can't see them.&nbsp;
TeamPassword, like many password managers, offers a <a href="https://app.teampassword.com/dashboard#signup/testimonial">14-day free trial</a> so you and your team can better protect your data without delay.&nbsp;
<h2>How should you teach them?</h2>
Not a cyber security expert? Thanks to the internet, we have access to many tools for education. <a href="https://www.wizer-training.com/">Wizer</a> is an online tool that provides security awareness training. It also includes real-life stories and examples of what happens when you don't take cybersecurity seriously. The starter plan is free, but they also offer monthly and yearly plans for more features.&nbsp;
At TeamPassword, we offer <a href="https://calendly.com/teampassword/teampassword-demo">onboarding calls</a> with our customers, and we go over the basics of password security and walk you through the product. Don't have time? Please share this article with your team so that they can educate themselves. Anything is better than nothing.
Cybersecurity is important. Teaching your team about cybersecurity can decrease the likelihood and impact of a data breach, which keeps us all safer.

Your team needs to understand cybersecurity to protect your business. And it's your job to teach them. These tips tell you what and how.

It's the 21st century. Our data is online, and hackers are constantly improving their craft. It's never been ...

Cybersecurity is the Most Important Topic for Teams

It's the 21st century. Our data is online, and hackers are constantly improving their craft. It's never been more important to be sure that your team is doing everything in their power to protect your business. There are plenty of resources to help you stay informed and keep up with the latest cybersecurity trends, but how do you turn that information into something useful and get your team involved? Here are a few tips that can help.

Cybersecurity: The Most Important Topic Your Team Can Learn About This Year

Over the last decade, the gig economy boom has allowed professionals worldwide to switch to freelancing and build a network of international clients.&nbsp;
According to Upwork, 1 in 3 US workers engaged in freelance work during 2020. Some of the most successful freelancers earn hundreds of thousands of dollars per year through platforms like Upwork, Freelancer, and Toptal.
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;
Does your company hire freelancers? How do you <a href="https://teampassword.com/blog/should-i-share-data-with-freelancers">share passwords with freelancers</a>? TeamPassword is an affordable password management solution for small businesses, startups, and agencies to share credentials securely with team members and freelancers. <a href="https://app.teampassword.com/dashboard#signup/testimonial">Sign up for a 14-day free trial</a> today.
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;
<h2>10 Successful Freelancers</h2>
Here are ten successful freelancers and what they do. These freelancers have earned their place as experts in their given field with excellent track records&mdash;many have worked with the biggest companies in the world!
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;
<h3>1. Marcos Rezende - UX designer - Canada</h3>
Marcos Rezende is a UX Designer from Ontario, Canada, with more than 13 years of experience. Marcos has worked in over 30 industry sectors for multinational organizations in the United States, Canada, Germany, and Brazil.&nbsp;
Some of Marcos' notable projects include apps for Ontario's COVID-19 dashboard, Urban Master Planning collaboration platform, and Reaction (kid's e-learning app), to name a few.&nbsp;
Marcos loves sharing his industry expertise with aspiring UX designers and regularly writes for the popular UX publication Career Foundry. Total recognizes Marcos as part of its "Top 3%" of global freelancer talent&mdash;a title given to elite freelancers in their given field.
We don't have access to Marcos' rates, but the best UX designers on Upwork earn upwards of $100 per hour. As a Toptal Top 3% freelancer, Marcos likely charges $200-$300 per hour.
<a href="https://www.marcosrezende.com/">Marcos Rezende's website</a> was nominated for the prestigious <a href="https://www.awwwards.com/sites/ux-portfolio-marcos-rezende">awwwards.</a> in 2021.
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;
<h3>2. Kathy Edens - Marketing Consultant / Freelance Copywriter - United States</h3>
<a href="https://www.upwork.com/freelancers/~016177d19f0624c1a7?viewMode=1">Kathy Edens is a Top Rated Upwork Freelancer</a> with over $300k platform earnings! Kathy has been self-employed as a marketing consultant and freelance copywriter for almost ten years from her home in Ohio, United States.
She holds a Bachelor of Science in Professional Writing and Psychology from Oregon State University, which she says "...helps me understand how to reach your target audience with words."&nbsp;
Kathy has ghost-written several non-fiction books on various topics, including social entrepreneurship, healthcare, real estate investing, and the cannabis industry, to name a few.
Kathy also writes web content, sales pages, email marketing content, case studies, white papers, brochures, press releases, and more. Kathy's rates start at $86 per hour for her writing and marketing services.
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;
<h3>3. Koen van Oeveren - UX designer - Netherlands</h3>
Koen van Oeveren is a freelance UI &amp; UX designer from North Brabant, Netherlands, with almost ten years of experience. Koen works with several design agencies in the Netherlands, designing apps, websites, and eCommerce experiences for many international brands.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;
Koen holds a Bachelor of Applied Science in Communication and Multimedia Design from Avans University in the Netherlands. Koen's <a href="https://www.koenvo.com/index.html">portfolio website Koenvo</a> was nominated for a <a href="https://www.awwwards.com/sites/koenvo-ui-ux-portfolio">2021 awwwards. Award</a>.
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;
<h3>4. Pascal Strasche - Product / UX designer - Germany</h3>
Pascal Strasche is a product and UX designer with more than ten years of design experience from Germany. He holds a Master of Arts in Interaction Design and a Bachelor of Arts in Graphic Design, both from HAWK University of Applied Sciences and Arts.
For almost a year over 2020/2021, Pascal worked as the sole product designer to design Con Cubo's SaaS tool that helps complex organizations visualize and manage teams. He's also worked with German steel giant XOM Materials to find product solutions to digitalize&nbsp;Germany's steel industry.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;
In 2019, Pascal founded Product Design Resources, a growing archive of 800+ design resources, weekly updated for the design community.
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;
<h3>5. Paul Hunkin - Developer - New Zealand</h3>
Paul Hunkin is a freelance software consultant and developer from Tauranga, New Zealand, but currently living in Portugal.&nbsp;
Paul has over ten years of experience as a software developer with an impressive work history, including Google, NASA, InfoSys, and the Chinese aerospace industry leader COMAC.
He's worked with several early-stage startups designing everything from high-performance big-data systems to complex web applications to 3D rendering engines. He's also built a lot of the foundational code for independent games on Android.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;
Paul is a Top Rated Upwork Freelancer with over $400k in platform earnings. His rates start at $120 per hour for software development. <a href="https://paulh.consulting/">Check out Paul's website</a> for more about his impressive portfolio and work history.
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;
<h3>6. Jana Galat - Writer / Brand Strategist - Canada</h3>
Jana Galat is a freelance copywriter and brand strategist from Ontario, Canada. She holds a Bachelor's Degree in Management and Organizational Studies from King's University College and an Honors in Business Administration from Western University.
Jana has extensive experience writing landing pages, email campaigns, social media ads, and print materials and says, "I am obsessed with creating copy that sells..."
After several years of professional work experience, Jana went freelance in 2019 and has quickly built a reputation as a <a href="https://www.upwork.com/freelancers/~01bfa17a48301876dd">Top Rated Upwork Freelancer</a> with over $70k in platform earnings. Jana's rates start at $100 per hour for copywriting and brand consulting.
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;
<h3>7. Kate H. - Logo Designer / Branding Expert - United States</h3>
Kate is a freelance professional logo designer and branding expert from Maryland, United States. Kate&nbsp;ran her own green wedding brand which she sold to mywedding.com in 2014, allowing her to focus on helping small&nbsp;businesses figure out what they want (and who they are) and translate that into design.
She holds a Master's degree in Environmental Management from Yale School of The Environmental, and a J.D. in environmental law from Pace Law School.&nbsp;
Kate's skillset includes redesigning and updating material to make it easier to understand, building a consistent brand from a simple starting point like a logo, and creating unique logos that guarantee results.
Kate is a Top Rated Upwork Freelancer, and her rates start at $225 per hour. You can find out more about Kate on her <a href="https://www.upwork.com/freelancers/~013ce73876c1c18126" rel="follow noopener" target="_blank">Upwork profile</a>.
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;
<h3>8. Xhensila Zemblaku - Art Director - Canada</h3>
Xhensila Zemblaku is a freelance art director, UX/UI designer, and illustrator from Markham, Canada. She holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Ryerson University with almost ten years of experience.
Xhensila has been a freelancer for most of her professional career and earned over <a href="https://www.upwork.com/freelancers/~01a08d1fcc6ea8fbcb">$400k on Upwork</a>, completed over 150 jobs, and 4,663 hours!&nbsp;
Xhensila's work includes typography, print design, UX/UI design, web, and mobile design. She's a Top Rated Upwork Freelancer currently charging $200 per hour for various creative gigs.
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;
<h3>9. Tanya Litvinova - UX/UI Designer - United States</h3>
Tanya Litvinova is a freelance UX/UI designer from New York City, United States. She holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Advertising Design / Communication Design from the Fashion Institute of Technology.
Tanya specializes in product, mobile, and web design as well as user experience flow, research, and validation.
"I have a passion to make the complex simple, shape behavior, design, plan, and strategize. Aiming for the best user experience, all the while balancing the needs of business and technology to create engaging, habit-forming digital products."
Tanya has worked with Fortune 100 &amp; Fortune 500 companies and successfully delivered business-transforming data-driven analytics, responsive BI dashboards, enterprise web apps, and management systems. Some of Tanya's notable clients include KOCH Industries, BlackRock Financial, BCG Group, and FireEye, to name a few.
<a href="https://www.upwork.com/freelancers/~0165035041b26e96df">Tanya is a Top Rated Upwork Freelancer</a> with more than $200k platform earnings. Her current rate starts at $162.50 per hour.
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;
<h3>10. Guangming Lang - Data Scientist - United States</h3>
Guangming Lang is a freelance data scientist from Michigan, United States. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Mathematics from New College of Florida and a Master of Science in Biostatistics from the University of Michigan. Guangming has also completed several Coursera courses in data science and machine learning.
Guangming has been a freelancer since 2013 and has worked across several industries, including fintech, trading, medicine, biotech, advertising, and HR.&nbsp;
Guangming is a Top Rated Upwork Freelancer with over $400k in platform earnings. He's completed 216 jobs on Upwork totaling 3,805 hours! Guangming's current rates start at $200 per hour.
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;
<h2>Secure Freelancer Workflows With TeamPassword</h2>
No matter how talented or reputable the freelancers and contractors you hire, your company must use secure workflows to protect your digital assets.
Freelancers often need access to shared accounts and tools. Using a <a href="https://app.teampassword.com/dashboard#signup/testimonial">password manager</a> is the first step to securing these accounts and platforms. You can also use a password manager to share credentials with employees, clients, and other stakeholders to ensure you never expose raw passwords via email, spreadsheets, chat apps, and other non-secure methods.
<a href="https://app.teampassword.com/dashboard#signup/testimonial">TeamPassword</a> lets you create groups to share access with only those who need it. When they're done, revoke access with a single click. No need to change passwords every time someone leaves the team.
If you do need to change a password, TeamPassword's built-in <a href="https://teampassword.com/password-generator">password generator</a> lets you create secure passwords between 12-32 characters using numbers, letters (uppercase/lowercase), and symbols.
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;
Ready to onboard clients and freelancers securely with TeamPassword's robust <a href="https://app.teampassword.com/dashboard#signup/testimonial">password management solution</a>? <a href="https://app.teampassword.com/dashboard#signup/testimonial">Sign up for a free trial</a> to secure your company's digital assets today!

Here are ten successful freelancers and what they do. These freelancers have earned their place as experts in their given field.

Here are ten successful freelancers and what they do. These freelancers have earned their place as experts in ...

10 extremely successful freelancers and what they do

Here are ten successful freelancers and what they do. These freelancers have earned their place as experts in their given field with excellent track records—many have worked with the biggest companies in the world!

So you think hackers have stolen your password? You're not the only one. 
Perhaps you've noticed strange activity on your email account or frequent pop-ups on your computer. Perhaps it's just a hunch. 
But how can you know&nbsp;for sure?
There are many warning signs that you've been the victim of a data hack:
<ul>
<li>Your device is slower than normal.</li>
<li>You use more data than normal.</li>
<li>Videos take longer to load.</li>
<li>You received an email notification about a password change you didn't make.</li>
<li>An online account no longer accepts your password.</li>
</ul>
However, hackers can steal your passwords and identity&nbsp;without you ever knowing. That's why it's so difficult to tell if you're the victim of a hack.
This guide will help you work out if hackers have stolen your information and tell you how to stop it from happening again.&nbsp;
Prevent hackers from stealing your data by incorporating TeamPassword into your tech stack. This password manager for teams comes with a range of security features like two-step verification and password encryption.&nbsp;<a href="https://app.teampassword.com/dashboard#signup/testimonial" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sign up for a free trial</a>&nbsp;today.&nbsp;

<h2>Have I Been Hacked? How Do I Know?</h2>
There are various ways to tell whether hackers have access to your information:
<ul>
<li>Look for unusual activity on your account. This activity includes logins to your social media accounts from unfamiliar locations or mass messages sent from your email account.&nbsp;</li>
<li>Look for security emails from account providers that warn about failed login attempts or password changes you didn't make.&nbsp;&nbsp;</li>
<li>Look for changes in performance on the devices, apps, and websites you use. For example, see if videos take longer to buffer than normal.&nbsp;</li>
<li>Look at your browser's password manager (if you use one) and check that nobody has changed these credentials.&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
All the above can be a guessing game. You might have a feeling that you're the victim of a hack but don't know for sure. 
Checking a stolen password list like "Have I Been Pwned" clears up some of the confusion. This tool searches across multiple data breaches &mdash; when hackers take stolen passwords and usernames and post them online &mdash; to see if cybercriminals have compromised your personal information. 
Here's how to use this stolen password list:
<ol>
<li>Enter your email address on the main page.&nbsp;</li>
<li>Click "pwned."</li>
<li>The website will search thousands of databases to see if hackers have stolen your personal information.</li>
<li>If you receive the "Oh no &ndash; Pwned!" message, it means hackers have posted sensitive information associated with your email address (passwords, addresses, phone numbers, etc.) somewhere online.</li>
<li>If you receive the "Good news &ndash; no pwnage found!" message, it means the website could not find your information on the internet.&nbsp;</li>
</ol>
Note: Just because the website can't find your data on the internet, it doesn't mean hackers haven't compromised your personal information.
Read more:&nbsp;<a href="https://teampassword.com/blog/password-manager-for-small-businesses" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Password Manager for Small Businesses</a>

<h2>Which Passwords Did Hackers Steal?</h2>
Establish which passwords hackers stole in a data breach so you can take quick action. Websites like "Have I Been Pwned"&nbsp;won't&nbsp;tell you which passwords are at risk. You'll only learn whether hackers have compromised the data associated with a particular email address. 
Note: Sometimes, hackers might have access to your email address and other personal information but not your password. It's hard to know for sure.&nbsp;
If hackers have access to your data, it's a good idea to change&nbsp;all passwords&nbsp;associated with the compromised email address. If you use your email address for several online accounts, change the passwords for these services. Updating these passwords might take you a while, and remembering the new passwords leads to additional problems. (Keep reading to find a solution.)
Here are some other tips:
<ul>
<li>When choosing new passwords, use combinations of lowercase letters, uppercase letters, numbers, and symbols. Passwords that use all these elements are stronger than those that don't.</li>
<li>Don't write your passwords down because this increases the risk of identity theft.&nbsp;&nbsp;</li>
<li>Don't tell anyone your new passwords.</li>
</ul>
Read more:&nbsp;<a href="https://teampassword.com/blog/the-most-secure-way-to-share-passwords" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Most Secure Way to Share Passwords</a>.

<h2>How Common Is a Data Hack?</h2>
More common than you think. Hackers were responsible for more than 4,000 attacks every day in 2020, and the total number of compromised records exceeded 37 billion. That's a 141% increase from 2019. Much of this compromised data appears on the dark web, where cybercriminals use it to facilitate illegal activities such as identity theft and money laundering.&nbsp;
If you have been the subject of a data hack, you are not alone. However, it's important to act quickly to prevent hackers from accessing your personal or financial accounts.&nbsp;
There are other types of cybercrime to consider. Cybercriminals use techniques like phishing, where they impersonate people online and trick victims into handing over their personal information. Phishing now accounts for more than 80% of all cybersecurity incidents, and criminals steal $17,700 every minute in these attacks.&nbsp;

<h2>What Kind of Information Do Hackers Steal?</h2>
Hackers steal all kinds of personal and financial information:
<ul>
<li>Names</li>
<li>Email addresses</li>
<li>Usernames</li>
<li>Passwords</li>
<li>Addresses</li>
<li>Phone numbers</li>
<li>Bank account details</li>
<li>Credit card numbers</li>
<li>Social Security numbers</li>
<li>Insurance information&nbsp;</li>
<li>IRS information</li>
<li>Photos</li>
<li>Private message</li>
<li>SMS messages</li>
</ul>
Nothing is off-limits for hackers, and these criminals go to great lengths to steal your data. Once they have access to the information above, hackers can transfer money from your bank accounts, use your identity to apply for financing, and damage your credit file.&nbsp;
Read more:&nbsp;<a href="https://teampassword.com/blog/the-scariest-data-breaches-of-all-time" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Scariest Data Breaches of All Time</a>.
TeamPassword is the best password manager for teams. Features include two-step verification, password encryption, easy password sharing, and more.&nbsp;<a href="https://app.teampassword.com/dashboard#signup/testimonial" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Get a free trial now</a>&nbsp;and learn how TeamPassword keeps you safe online.&nbsp;

<h2>Have I Been Hacked? How to Stay Safe.</h2>
There are several ways to improve online security and prevent hackers from accessing your personal information:
<ul>
<li>Use the latest security software and apps when using devices and browsing the internet.</li>
<li>Carry out regular risk assessments where you evaluate your security software.</li>
<li>Back up personal data to a reputable cloud service instead of keeping it on your device.&nbsp;</li>
<li>Don't share personal information with other people.</li>
<li>Create a security management strategy for your organization and share it with all team members.&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
Using a password manager is another way to stay safe online. The best ones encrypt your online passwords so hackers can't access these credentials, and you can keep passwords in a secure cloud-based vault and not have to remember them. There are various password managers online, including free ones available through most internet browsers, but not all tools are the same.&nbsp;
If you work alongside a team, consider TeamPassword. It's the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.teampassword.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">password manager for teams</a>&nbsp;that require world-class security and performance. This all-in-one password solution helps teams like yours store, manage, and share passwords in the safest way possible.&nbsp;

<h2>How Can TeamPassword Help?</h2>
TeamPassword prevents hackers from stealing your organization's most sensitive data with an incredible range of password management features. Enterprises of all sizes use TeamPassword to manage passwords, including tech startups, digital marketing agencies, creative agencies, and software and development teams.
Here are some&nbsp;<a href="https://teampassword.com/features" target="_blank" rel="noopener">TeamPassword features</a>&nbsp;that prevent situations involving a stolen password:
<ul>
<li>Random password generation that creates unique passwords for websites.</li>
<li>Two-step password verification.</li>
<li>Activity and logging tools so you can discover who has access to password management features.</li>
<li>Secure encryption technology.</li>
<li>Email notifications about password management actions.</li>
<li>Passwords stored securely in one place. </li>
</ul>
<h2>Final Word</h2>
If you're looking for the answer to the question, "Have I been hacked?" it's difficult to know for sure. Preventing hackers from compromising your data in the first place provides a better resolution. TeamPassword lets you store and manage passwords in a secure environment and minimize the effects of a stolen password so you can avoid hackers stealing your data and continue to collaborate on team projects.&nbsp;
With features like password encryption, two-step authentication, and random password generation, TeamPassword is the best password management solution for teams that want to improve online security.&nbsp;<a href="https://app.teampassword.com/dashboard#signup/testimonial" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sign up for a free trial</a>&nbsp;now.

Have I been hacked? Here's how to check if you have and learn how to stop hackers from stealing your data. | TeamPassword Blog

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