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!
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<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!
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<h2>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>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$$w0rd123</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Hashed password: 6AF1CE202340FE71BDB914AD5357E33A6982A63B</li>
</ul>
While this might seem secure, simple hashed passwords aren't hack-proof.
The hash function only creates a unique hash for each password, not each user. So, if multiple users have the password, Pa$$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): 72AE25495A7981C40622D49F9A52E4F1565C90F048F59027BD9C8C8900D5C3D8</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Password two hashed value (SHA256): B4B6603ABC670967E99C7E7F1389E40CD16E78AD38EB1468EC2AA1E62B8BED3A</li>
</ul>
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<h2>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>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?

You&rsquo;ve lost a password&mdash;an important password. This is an unthinkable, stress-inducing event in this modern digital world. But, it could be worse.
Let me tell you about Stefan Thomas. Stefan Thomas forgot the password to a hard drive that contains 7002 Bitcoins. For the very, very few people who still don&rsquo;t know about Bitcoin at the time of writing this article, that would be worth $160,929,066.60! Of course, when you read this, it could be a billion or zero, but this article isn&rsquo;t about the fickle nature of Bitcoin.&nbsp;
Imagine what you could do with that kind of money. Now, imagine what you would do if you forgot that password! Let&rsquo;s not get too drastic here, as I&rsquo;m happy to say that Stefan Thomas has made peace with the fact that he will probably never touch that money. (Huge respect for that self-actualization if you are reading this, Stefan!)
We are going to go through all the ways you can recover passwords, how you can use modern tools to prevent forgetting passwords in the future, and what to do when all else fails (hint, if you have to accept it is gone forever and at least you aren&rsquo;t out 160 million US dollars).
In our quest to become more secure, passwords become <a href="https://teampassword.com/blog/tips-and-tricks-to-create-a-strong-password" rel="follow noopener" target="_blank">less and less easy to remember</a>. Let&nbsp;<a href="https://app.teampassword.com/dashboard#signup/testimonial">TeamPassword</a> take care of securely remembering your passwords, so you never have to deal with a &ldquo;long lost password&rdquo; again.
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<h2>How to recover passwords</h2>
To find long-lost passwords, you need to cast a wide net. That means searching around your home, office, and all devices. We are going to start with the digital search and then follow up with some of the places where you may find an old password in the real world.&nbsp;
<h3>Search your web browsers</h3>
The first place to look for a lost password is your web browser. The way you find passwords is different for each browser, so we&rsquo;ll go through them one by one. Also, note that you may have switched which browser you use regularly at one or more points in time, so it may not be in the one you are using to read this.&nbsp;
In addition, you may have reused the password you are looking for (note: <a href="https://teampassword.com/blog/colonial-pipeline-ransomware-attack-dont-reuse-passwords" rel="follow noopener" target="_blank">don&rsquo;t reuse passwords</a>), so think about login info for sites you signed up for around the same time as the lost password.
<h4>Microsoft Edge (formerly Internet Explorer)</h4>
Open up Edge and click the three dots in the top right. Click Settings &gt; Profiles &gt; Passwords. Here you can see your saved passwords.&nbsp;
<h4>Firefox</h4>
Click the hamburger in the top right, then&nbsp;Settings &gt;&nbsp;Privacy and Security&nbsp;&gt; scroll down to Logins and passwords, and click Saved Logins....
<h4>Chrome</h4>
Click the three dots in the top right, then Settings &gt; Autofill &gt; Password Manager. You'll see your logins under Saved Passwords.&nbsp;
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<h4>Safari</h4>
Open up Safari and then go to Preferences and then Passwords. You can then click on multiple sites and then select &ldquo;Show Passwords for Selected Websites.&rdquo; Once you enter your account password and follow the prompts, you&rsquo;ll be able to see your login information.
<h3>Search your email inboxes</h3>
Have you ever sent yourself an email with an important password in it (note: <a href="https://teampassword.com/blog/top-5-dangerous-ways-to-store-your-passwords" rel="follow noopener" target="_blank">don&rsquo;t ever email yourself passwords</a>)? Can you think of words that might be found in those files? If you sent any of these lost passwords from one account to another, would you know what email account you sent them from? Let&rsquo;s go through some of these prompts following the search instructions below.&nbsp;
Before you get started digging through your email, please note that many thousands of emails are hacked every year, and your passwords could now be available online in multiple places. Once you find your password be sure to change the information and find a more secure way to store it.&nbsp;
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<h4>Outlook&nbsp;</h4>
Select the search bar, located above the Outlook ribbon. Type a name, subject, or phrase which is included in the email message that you want to find. You can use quotation marks around a phrase to search for words in that exact order.&nbsp;
<h4>Gmail</h4>
For a simple search, just type the terms in the box at the top of the page. You can also click on the down arrow for advanced search filters. Then, click the search icon.
<h4>Yahoo Mail</h4>
As with Gmail, you can type basic search terms in the box found at the top of the page. You can also refine your search using the menu in front of the search box.
Whichever email provider you are searching, be sure to vary your search terms. &ldquo;Credentials,&rdquo; &ldquo;login,&rdquo; and &ldquo;password&rdquo; are all possible hits, but so is the name of the organization for which you have lost your password.&nbsp;
If that fails, figure out approximately when you originally would have made the password and try to search by dates. You can also search in your sent email folder, as you may have long deleted the received email, but the sent message might still remain.
<h3>Search through cloud-based services</h3>
It is probably repetitive at this point, but it bears repeating, all the same. Storing your passwords in a cloud-based service such as Google Drive or Evernote is not a secure way to manage your passwords. However, if you have done so and then lost your password, follow the steps below to search your services for those lost passwords.
<h4>Google Drive</h4>
The following instructions are for a desktop computer or an iOS device. You can bypass them on your Android devices and just search using Google Now.&nbsp;
Open <a href="https://teampassword.com/blog/the-risks-of-storing-your-passwords-in-google-sheets">Google Drive</a> and log in if you aren&rsquo;t already. Then, type your search terms. You can then peruse the list of documents found. Google Drive will search document titles, content, and images by default, which could provide too many results. It is best to start with a narrow search and then expand if your search was unsuccessful. To only search titles, add the phrase &ldquo;title:&rdquo; to the start of your search query.
<h4>Evernote</h4>
Open Evernote and sign in. Click the magnifying glass on the left and simply enter the keywords you wish to search.
<h3>Search for files on your computer&rsquo;s hard drive</h3>
Some people write important passwords in a Word or Excel file or some other note-taking file. Have you done this at any point? If you can&rsquo;t remember, try searching your files for your lost passwords.
This can be done on both Windows and Mac.
<h4>Searching for files on Windows</h4>
<img src="https://cdn.buttercms.com/7ltDMNRF7Elx11PfBCwf" alt="undefined" width="674" height="371">
Windows search, by default, doesn&rsquo;t scan all the files on your computer. To do so, before typing in your search query in Windows Search, perform the following actions. Go to the Control Panel and open &ldquo;Indexing Options.&rdquo; Select Advanced and then File Types. Select all file extensions you wish to search (.docx, .doc, .xlsx, .xls, etc.). If you don&rsquo;t see the options, you can add more. Click the radial option &ldquo;Index Properties and File Contents&rdquo; as well as &ldquo;Always Search File Names and Contents&rdquo; on the &ldquo;Search&rdquo; tab.
<h4>Searching for files on Mac</h4>
Mac is a bit simpler. Click on the magnifying glass in the top-right corner of your screen near the date and time or hit cmd+space. Then, type in your search terms and view the results.&nbsp;
<h3>Collect passwords from your mobile device</h3>
How long have you had a smartphone? For most people, the answer is longer than you have had a password manager like TeamPassword. During those early years of mobile Internet, did you ever store passwords in the note app on your phone (note: <a href="https://teampassword.com/blog/top-5-dangerous-ways-to-store-your-passwords" rel="follow noopener" target="_blank">don&rsquo;t store your passwords in a notetaker on your phone</a>)?
If so, you can use spotlight on your iPhone to search through your notes to find any lost passwords stored there.
<h3>Search for passwords around your home</h3>
Writing passwords down on paper can be as insecure as the location you store the paper. If you keep backup files in sealed envelopes tucked away with your 2009 tax return, there is a good chance that no one will find it.
That being said, if that password holds the key to 7002 Bitcoins, it is probably worth putting it in a bank safety deposit box.&nbsp;
If you work in a shared office, definitely don&rsquo;t write passwords on a sticky note and put it on your monitor!
But this isn&rsquo;t a time to judge. You can change your ways after finding your lost password. Here&rsquo;s a list of places in your home that might be hiding your lost password:
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<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">On or under the desk in your home office</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">In your home vault or security box</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">In a filing cabinet</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Your kitchen junk drawer</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">That pile of mail that really should be put in the recycling bin</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Old notepads or diaries</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Old calendars</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Wireless routers (sometimes default WiFi passwords are on the back)</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Your wallet</li>
</ul>

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<h2>When all else fails&hellip;</h2>
When all else fails, take a deep breath and accept it is gone. If you find your password in the future, great! For now&mdash;for your sanity&mdash;just let it go. If Stefan Thomas can be zen about losing a password and over 300 million dollars along with it, you can create a new email account&mdash;and your boss can forgive you for a lost password.
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<h2>How to prevent lost passwords</h2>
So you have lost a password. Let&rsquo;s make sure that is the last time!
<a href="https://teampassword.com/">TeamPassword</a> can make sure you never have another lost password. But that&rsquo;s not all. <a href="https://teampassword.com/">TeamPassword</a> keeps all your passwords safe and up to date so that they are there when you need them.
Now, you can safely share passwords with teammates while ensuring that your projects are safe. With AES 256-bit encryption and DSS-compliant security, <a href="https://teampassword.com/">TeamPassword</a> keeps all your assets safe, and you&rsquo;ll never have to search for a lost password again.

Say goodbye to the stress of lost passwords. Learn how to recover old passwords and prevent future forgetfulness with modern tools.

Learn what to do when you have a lost password and how to prevent a losing password in ...

How to Find a Lost Password from Ages Ago

Learn what to do when you have a lost password and how to prevent a losing password in the future to protect your personal data.

Most modern browsers offer an autofill function. The browser stores your name, phone number, address, etc. so that every time you fill out a form, you do not need to fill out the information line by line.&nbsp;
However, what you save in tedious work you lose in potential security risks. This is especially the case if the computer is shared. While most people know not to put their personal information into a public computer at the library, they may forget that other people might jump on to their computer at home or in a dorm room&mdash;or that someone might grab their smartphone right off their table while working in a caf&eacute;.
Even if you are not concerned about the security issues, the data stored may be out of date, have an error in it, or otherwise require you to constantly change a single field after autofill is completed.&nbsp;
In this article we will learn how to add, delete, and modify all or some of the autofill information in your Google Chrome browser, as well as other information you may wish to remove.
<h2>How to delete unwanted autofill entries on Chrome browser</h2>
You can clear all or only some of your autofill data in Chrome. Let&rsquo;s take a look at these two cases below.
<h3>Clear all autofill entries directly via Chrome settings in your toolbar</h3>
Use the following instructions to clear all of your autofill information in Chrome:
<ol>
<li aria-level="1">Open Chrome</li>
<li aria-level="1">Click the&nbsp;three dot symbol &gt; More Tools &gt; Clear browsing data...</li>
<li aria-level="1">Click the&nbsp;Advanced tab in the new window, and select&nbsp;All time from the drop down.&nbsp;</li>
<li aria-level="1">Check the Autofill form data&nbsp;box. Be sure to unselect all others if you do not wish to delete other data</li>
<li aria-level="1">Click the Clear data button</li>
</ol>
<img src="https://cdn.buttercms.com/JJ9oIPCRoe0qHCnu5Fqs" alt="undefined" width="397" height="333" /> &nbsp; &nbsp; <img src="https://cdn.buttercms.com/YduonhM8SryTCFvCd5O7" alt="undefined" width="394" height="361" /> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;
You have now cleared all of your autofill data in Chrome. But what if you want to delete only part of the information?
<h3>Clear some autofill entries directly via the autofill tab of Chrome settings</h3>
Follow the steps below to clear only part of your autofill information in Chrome:
<ol>
<li aria-level="1">Open Chrome</li>
<li aria-level="1">Click the&nbsp;three dot symbol in the top right corner</li>
<li aria-level="1">Click Settings</li>
<li aria-level="1">Click the&nbsp;Autofill tab</li>
<li aria-level="1">Here, you can individually edit or delete the different autofill categories: passwords, payment methods, and addresses and more</li>
</ol>
<h2>How to make specific changes to what autofill saves</h2>
If your computer is regularly used by others, or you are currently using a public computer, you may wish to turn off autofill entirely. Let&rsquo;s look at different types of autofill information stored by Google and how to disable them. This may also be wise if you regularly use these devices in public where a thief can get their hands on them.
<h3>Passwords</h3>
The &ldquo;Offer to save passwords&rdquo; setting allows you to save passwords in Chrome. This can be done in all modern&nbsp;<a href="https://teampassword.com/blog/how-to-save-passwords-in-chrome-and-alternatives">browsers</a>. However,&nbsp;<a href="https://teampassword.com/blog/are-chrome-passwords-safe" rel="follow noopener" target="_blank">saving passwords in a browser might not be the safest or easiest option</a>. Flipping this toggle to off will disable Chrome&rsquo;s password saving feature. You can also disable this functionality in other&nbsp;<a href="https://teampassword.com/blog/how-to-disable-your-browsers-built-in-password-manager" rel="follow noopener" target="_blank">browsers</a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;
<img src="https://cdn.buttercms.com/P1IBEoW2QbtQaWIXnVTq" alt="undefined" width="860" height="216" />
<h3>Payment methods</h3>
To turn off autofill for payment methods, find &ldquo;Save and fill payment methods&rdquo; and set the toggle button to off. You can also see a link below this that you can follow to clear any autofill payment information currently stored in Chrome.
<h3>Addresses and more</h3>
This information includes your email address, physical address, phone number, etc. Similar to above, find &ldquo;Save and fill addresses&rdquo; and flip the toggle to off.
<h2>What is autofill and how does it work?</h2>
Autofill does exactly what it sounds like. By default, Chrome will remember what you input into different form fields and then add that information automatically whenever you encounter the same field in the future.&nbsp;
Autofill saves time and reduces the hassle of providing information in the future. While filling out an address doesn&rsquo;t take most people much time while working on their PC or laptop, typing in number and letter combinations, especially when your address has uncommon words or non-dictionary words that make autocorrect hiccup, can be rather time-consuming. If it leads to incorrect information on those forms, then the delays to shipments could cause further issues.
No technology is without its drawbacks. You should take the time to understand the security implications of using Chrome autofill.
<h2>Reasons why autofill may not be working correctly</h2>
Autofill might not be working for various reasons. Sometimes it is simply that friends or family have used your computer recently to fill in their own information and now Google Chrome is confused about what is the correct information.
Other times it might be that your information has been changed by government edict. In Canada, the postal code (like a zip code but fancier with letters) format has changed from A1A-1A1 to A1A 1A1 and now A1A1A1 over time. Because of this change, many postal code form fields are limited to six characters now instead of seven (bye bye space). Then, you might find Chrome autofill always adding &ldquo;A1A 1A&rdquo;, which you need to go and manually change to &ldquo;A1A1A1&rdquo;. And if you are super lazy, this might persist for a few years until you are tasked with writing about how to clear autofill in Chrome and finally get around to fixing the information&hellip;&nbsp;
However, whatever the issue, it is easy to change the Chrome autofill settings.
<h2>Other data settings to keep in mind</h2>
Accessing the same menu, you can delete all of the other information your browser is storing. Doing this periodically is a practical and proactive step to help reduce your risk online. The following are some other types of information that you should consider clearing along with autofill in Chrome:
<ul>
<li aria-level="1">Browsing history</li>
<li aria-level="1">Cookies and other site data</li>
<li aria-level="1"><a href="https://macpaw.com/how-to/clear-cache-on-mac" target="_blank" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://macpaw.com/how-to/clear-cache-on-mac&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1648309794332000&amp;usg=AOvVaw1lwRodBSl30WBTzbWzYHap" rel="follow noopener">Cached images and files on your Mac</a> (or any other device)</li>
</ul>
Anyone who touches your device, whether&nbsp;<a href="https://teampassword.com/blog/prevent-password-theft-from-ex-employees" rel="follow noopener" target="_blank">at the office</a>, the caf&eacute;, or on the subway (if you accidentally leave your briefcase behind), with or without your permission, can access every account you have saved in Chrome passwords.&nbsp;
This leaves you wide open to being hacked.
<h2>Is Chrome autofill safe?&nbsp;</h2>
While convenient, using Chrome to store passwords and credit cards is not secure. If the device on which you have autofill enabled is stolen or accessed by someone else, they can easily get into your accounts. Chrome's password manager also lacks a way to share logins with coworkers, making it completely inappropriate for use at work.
We recommend using a <a href="https://teampassword.com/" rel="follow noopener" target="_blank">password manager</a> instead. Password managers store your passwords in an encrypted environment and can even be used to store credit card information and addresses in the Note section, as the entire record is secured with AES 256-bit encryption.&nbsp;
<h2>What should I use instead of Chrome autofill?</h2>
TeamPassword offers a fast, safe, and easy solution for storing and managing your passwords that doesn&rsquo;t leave you vulnerable to Chrome password security issues.
Create and customize strong passwords that you can use with any browser or device and access all your passwords whenever and wherever you need them. With TeamPassword, your passwords are secure, even if your device falls into the wrong hands.&nbsp;
A&nbsp;<a href="https://teampassword.com/" rel="follow noopener" target="_blank">dedicated password manager</a> protects you by requiring you to log in with a separate &ldquo;master&rdquo; password. It automatically locks your passwords after a specific amount of time has passed. With browser extensions and apps, password managers are only slightly less convenient than Chrome's built-features, but&nbsp;a lot more secure.&nbsp;
TeamPassword has a Chrome extension which autofills to most website and shows you record information from a dropdown without needing to go to separate page.
<img src="https://cdn.buttercms.com/H6sqhcSSGARs0vTaPvw6" alt="undefined" width="559" height="389" />
It also has extensive features for safe credential sharing - something Chrome's password feature lacks entirely. Passwords are categorized into Groups, and team members are given access to Groups as needed. Removing members and editing records is just as easy.&nbsp;&nbsp;
<a href="https://app.teampassword.com/dashboard#signup/testimonial">Sign up for a 14-day free trial</a> to test TeamPassword with your team members today.

Learn how to clear your autofill on Chrome to protect your passwords. Use TeamPassword instead of letting Chrome remember your passwords for you.

Don't store your passwords in Chrome, it's not safe. Clear your Chrome Autofill and use TeamPassword instead.

How to Clear Autofill on Chrome (Protect Your Data!)

How to Clear Autofill on Chrome: Protect Your Internet Security by Clearing Chrome’s Saved Information

Single sign-on (SSO) is a way for a user to have a single set of login credentials for multiple applications. This is different from reusing the same login credentials, i.e., name and password, for multiple sites, which is incredibly <a href="https://www.teampassword.com/blog/colonial-pipeline-ransomware-attack-dont-reuse-passwords">dangerous</a>.
With SSO, you are using a single login system, which then allows you to access multiple other sites, so you are introducing vulnerability by sharing the same credentials across many platforms.
Opposite to SSO, there is SLO (single log-out, which is sometimes called single sign-off), which is a single action leading to the termination of access to many different systems.
<a href="https://app.teampassword.com/dashboard#signup/testimonial">TeamPassword</a> is an accredited secure provider utilizing state-of-the-art encryption technology for its <a href="https://app.teampassword.com/dashboard#signup/testimonial">password manager</a>. Whatever other security measures you have in place, make TeamPassword a part of your security protocols to facilitate secure and easy collaboration across your organization.
When you save new passwords, the data is hashed, salted, and encrypted locally on your computer before being uploaded to TeamPassword via an encrypted connection. This level of encryption makes it impossible for nefarious actors to intercept your passwords.
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Sign up today for a <a href="https://app.teampassword.com/dashboard#signup/testimonial">free 14-day TeamPassword trial</a> and protect your company's digital assets from cybercriminals.
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<h2>How single sign-on works</h2>
SSO is a type of federated identity management (FIM) arrangement. FIM refers to the establishment of trusted relationships between an organization and third parties, e.g., application vendors or partners, which allows them to share identities and authenticate users across domains. <a href="https://teampassword.com/blog/what-is-oauth-20-and-how-can-teampassword-help-you">OAuth</a> (Open Authorization) is the framework that enables the user's account information to be used by third-party services, such as Facebook, without exposing the user's password.
The basic web SSO service works as follows:&nbsp;
<ol>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">The agent module on the application server retrieves the authentication credentials for a user from a dedicated SSO policy server.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Then, the agent module authenticates the user against the user repository, e.g., a lightweight directory access protocol directory.&nbsp;</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">The service then authenticates the user for all applications for which the user has been given rights, thus eliminating the need for further password prompts during the session. This is done using SSO tokens.</li>
</ol>
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<h2>Types of SSO configurations</h2>
Many terms are used when discussing SSO, including Federated Identity Management (FIM), OAuth (nowadays OAuth 2.1), OpenID Connect (OIDC), Security Access Markup Language (SAML), and Same Sign-On (SSO).
SSO systems can be configured using different protocols. Two of them are Kerberos and SAML. They work as follows:
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">SAML:&nbsp;<a href="https://teampassword.com/blog/customer-spotlight-robert-lowry-vts">SAML</a> is an extensible markup language&nbsp;(XML) standard that facilitates the exchange of user authentication and authorization data across secure domains. SAML-based SSO services require communications among the user, the identity provider that maintains the user directory, and the service provider.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Kereberos: In a Kerberos-based setup, a ticket-granting ticket (<a href="https://searchenterprisedesktop.techtarget.com/definition/authentication-ticket">TGT</a>) is issued when the user credentials are provided. The TGT then retrieves service tickets for any other applications the user tries to access so that the user does not need to personally provide further credentials.</li>
</ul>
Differently, a <a href="https://teampassword.com/blog/one-time-passwords-vs-two-factor-authentication">smartcard</a>-based SSO requires the user to use a physical card holding the sign-in credentials for the first login. After using the information provided by the smartcard, the user will not have to enter any other usernames or passwords. Different SSO smartcards store either certificates or passwords.
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<h2>What are the most popular SSO solutions?</h2>
The following are some of the most popular SSO solutions available today:
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Duo Single Sign-On (SSO)</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Ping Identity</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Ping Identity</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">CyberArk Workforce Identity</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Lastpass Enterprise</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">LastPass Logo</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Microsoft Azure Active Directory</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Okta Single Sign-On</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">OneLogin Secure Single Sign-On</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">RSA SecureID Access</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">SecureAuth Identity Platform</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Symantec VIP Access Manager SSO</li>
</ul>
In our quest to become more secure, passwords become less and less easy to remember. Let <a href="https://app.teampassword.com/dashboard#signup/testimonial">TeamPassword</a> take care of securely remembering your passwords while you focus on growing a successful business! Using a third-party SSO service, such as your Gmail SSO, you can securely use TeamPassword.
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<h2>What makes a true SSO system?</h2>
A true SSO system means you do not need to reenter credentials moving from site to site. Once you log in to the system, it submits all the credentials behind the scenes using SSO tokens for you as you move from one site to another.&nbsp;
This is the key point of SSO as in single sign-on. It requires the trust relationship among the sites to be performed as a true SSO solution.&nbsp;
So what is SSO (as in same sign-on), besides the frustrating reuse of the same abbreviation? Same sign-on is very similar to SSO, with the big difference being that you need to keep logging in as you move from site to site even though you use the same credentials.&nbsp;
If you use your browser to save your passwords (and <a href="https://teampassword.com/blog/are-chrome-passwords-safe">you shouldn&rsquo;t if you currently are</a>), then it likely types in the username and password fields for you as you enter a site, and then you need to click login all the same. Thus, you still need to log in to each website individually, even if it is accomplished with the same credentials as your browser.
If you are using the much more secure <a href="https://teampassword.com/blog/whats-the-best-small-business-password-manager">password manager system</a>, then things are similar. As you navigate from page to page, you are prompted to log in with the same credentials&mdash;those of your password manager&mdash;which then fills in the specific username and password for the website you are trying to access.&nbsp;
With SSO, meaning single sign-on as used throughout, you can log in to all applications for which you are approved once and with only one set of credentials, including cloud applications, on-premises applications, and web applications.
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<h2>What are some types of SSO?</h2>
<h3>Social SSO</h3>
Facebook, Google, LinkedIn, and Twitter all offer popular SSO services. While these services are convenient and simple to begin using, they can present security risks as they create a single point of failure that can be exploited by attackers.
More recently, Apple unveiled its own SSO service as part of its repositioning as a more privacy-conscious company. Sign-in with Apple offers enhanced security as it requires users to use two-factor authentication (<a href="https://teampassword.com/blog/password-manager-with-2fa">2FA</a>) on all Apple ID accounts to support integration with Face ID and Touch ID on iOS devices.
<h3>Enterprise SSO</h3>
Enterprise single sign-on (eSSO) software products and services are based on a client-server structure and are used to log in the user to target applications by replaying user credentials. One benefit is that target applications do not need to be modified to work with the eSSO system.
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<h2>Advantages of SSO</h2>
The advantages of SSO include the following:
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">It allows users to remember and manage fewer passwords and usernames.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">The process of signing on and using applications is streamlined by no longer needing to reenter passwords.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">It reduces the chance of a successful phishing attack.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">The risks from third-party sites are mitigated by the federated system.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">IT costs are reduced due to the decrease in the number of IT help desk calls about passwords.</li>
</ul>
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<h2>Disadvantages of SSO</h2>
Some disadvantages of SSO are the following:
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Different sites may require different levels of security, but SSO offers a uniform level of security.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">If the SSO system becomes unavailable, then users are locked out of all their services.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">If unauthorized users gain access, then they could gain access to more than one application.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Since the risk of stolen or abused SSO credentials is higher, it necessitates a much higher level of security during the initial credentialing process.</li>
</ul>
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<h2>What is an SSO token?</h2>
The SSO token is a collection of data passed between systems during the SSO process. It contains the information required to log in to the system and proof of its veracity. The information could include an email address and must be digitally signed to be accepted.
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<h2>Is SSO secure?</h2>
As always, the answer to this question is &ldquo;sometimes.&rdquo;&nbsp;
While SSO can improve security in many ways, like all security systems, it is not infallible. With a single username and password, the user is more likely to pick a long and secure password, as well as change it regularly. This reduced &ldquo;password fatigue&rdquo; also prevents users from recycling credentials.&nbsp;
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<h2>Security risks and SSO</h2>
While SSO is convenient to use and does provide the opportunity for users to swap multiple passwords for one complex password, they may choose to have one simple password anyways. They may also reuse it for personal accounts, introducing risk to your enterprise.&nbsp;
Since the risks of a compromised account are so much higher when that single account can grant access to all the applications used by an organization, organizations must be extra vigilant in how they grant, use, and manage their SSO system. 2FA or even multifactor authentication (<a href="https://teampassword.com/blog/can-you-put-a-price-on-your-security">MFA</a>) is one way they can improve their overall security system.
Don't let your company fall victim to extortion emails, credential stuffing, and other password vulnerabilities. Let <a href="https://app.teampassword.com/dashboard#signup/testimonial">TeamPassword</a> take care of security while you focus on growing a successful business!
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This article explains what is SSO (single sign-on), how it can be used, and what makes it secure to keep all of your information safe.

This article explains what is SSO (single sign-on), how it can be used, and what makes it secure ...

What Is Single Sign-On (SSO)?

What Is SSO?

If one member of your team uses a weak password, it exposes your entire network to threats. Likewise, if one member of your team reuses their strong password elsewhere and it is <a href="https://teampassword.com/blog/have-i-been-pwnd-what-to-do-when-it-happens">pwned</a>, then your entire network is exposed.&nbsp;
Passwords have become the main point of entry for hackers. Any password complex enough to garner security cannot be remembered easily, and with an ever-increasing number of passwords being needed, users often <a href="https://teampassword.com/blog/colonial-pipeline-ransomware-attack-dont-reuse-passwords">reuse</a> them, which is a huge security risk.&nbsp;
Between weak and reused passwords, your network is far less secure than it would be by design. The first step in rectifying this situation is to audit passwords on your network. A password audit is simply using similar software as hackers to test your network against <a href="https://teampassword.com/blog/the-truth-about-terrible-passwords">dictionary attacks</a>, <a href="about:blank">brute force attacks</a>, and more.&nbsp;
Special software is used to audit passwords. They attempt to break into your network similarly to nefarious actors to show you all of your password vulnerabilities, from weak passwords to pwned passwords, so that your network can realize maximum security.
The best way to secure your IT infrastructure is to use a password manager that includes sharing features. TeamPassword offers high-level encryption and two-factor authentication so that only the right people can make sense of the passwords.
Before anyone can access the list of shared passwords, they must log in to the platform using their personal password and a short-term authentication code.
Teams often need to share passwords to access mutual accounts, but you don't have to put your data at risk to make this possible. Instead, use<a href="https://teampassword.com/"> TeamPassword</a> to securely generate, store, and share passwords within a team.&nbsp;
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If you&rsquo;re unsure where to begin, <a href="https://app.teampassword.com/dashboard#signup/testimonial">sign up for a TeamPassword free trial</a> to secure your shared passwords once and for all.
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<h2>Why Audit Passwords?</h2>
The fact is that passwords are fatally flawed: they need to be complex and unique, they need to be different for each site, you need to remember them, and you shouldn&rsquo;t store them somewhere unsafe like on a post-it note on your monitor or an <a href="https://teampassword.com/blog/password-manager-or-excel">Excel</a> file. Human nature is hard to avoid, and it runs counter to the aim of secure passwords.&nbsp;
Of course, a strong <a href="https://teampassword.com/blog/whats-the-best-small-business-password-manager">password manager</a> helps, but before you get the most out of the added security and convenience of a password manager, you need to be confident that the passwords being used to access your network are secure.&nbsp;
Let&rsquo;s assume everyone on your team understands that they shouldn&rsquo;t reuse passwords and have chosen a unique one for their work login, as well as the logins for all the tools they use at work. That&rsquo;s great.
Let&rsquo;s assume you enforce password complexity to maximize security. That means everyone must choose a password with a minimum length of 12 characters and that it must have at least one each of lowercase letters, uppercase letters, numbers, and a set of characters. That is, it meets the following requirements:&nbsp;
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Lowercase letter {abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz}</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Uppercase letter {ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ}</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Number {0123456789}</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Character {!@#$%^&amp;*()_+{}|:"&lt;&gt;?~`-=[]\;',./}</li>
</ul>
That&rsquo;s great, too. But, is it enough? Well, to crack that password by trying 20,000,000,000 attempts per second, which is easily accomplished using a cloud computing platform, would take a maximum of approximately 6,600 years and an average of half that, or 3,300 years. Problem solved, right?&nbsp;
Well, it depends on what kind of passwords your team is choosing. If they are picking truly random passwords, then it is unlikely anyone will ever crack those codes. But there&rsquo;s a difference between passwords that can be brute force attacked and those that are easy to guess. For example, &ldquo;Password#333&rdquo; matches the requirements but isn&rsquo;t going to take any longer than &ldquo;password&rdquo; to guess.
To understand this fully, we need to understand the difference between a brute force attack and a dictionary attack. The brute force attack starts with &ldquo;aaaaaaaaaaaa,&rdquo; then &ldquo;aaaaaaaaaaab,&rdquo; and so on until the password is found.&nbsp;
A dictionary attack, conversely, tries every word in a dictionary. Although these dictionaries might include the entire Oxford English Dictionary, they go well beyond that and include the words commonly used as passwords and variations of those passwords. For example, in addition to &ldquo;password,&rdquo; they might include &ldquo;p4ssw0rd&rdquo;, &ldquo;pa55word&rdquo;, &ldquo;passwordpassword,&rdquo; etc.&nbsp;
Passwords need to be safe from both, and auditing passwords will tell you whether you have either issue.
Don't let your company fall victim to extortion emails, credential stuffing, or any other password vulnerability. Let <a href="https://app.teampassword.com/dashboard#signup/testimonial">TeamPassword</a> take care of security while you focus on growing a successful business!
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<h2>How do you Audit Passwords?</h2>
To audit passwords, you need to use specialized software. We provide a list of several popular tools to audit passwords in the following section. But how do they work?
Essentially, the password auditing tools attempt to guess the passwords being used on your network. They do this through a combination of dictionary and brute force attacks, among other attacks, and then notify you about any other ways that the passwords might be compromised, for example, by being pwned.
Once you have performed a password audit, you can then notify any users whose passwords have been compromised or too weak so that they can change them.
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<h2>What are some tools to audit passwords?</h2>
You&rsquo;ve decided to audit the passwords on your network, but what program should you use? Here are five popular password auditing apps.&nbsp;
<h3>RainbowCrack</h3>
RainbowCrack is based on Phillippe Oechslin&rsquo;s faster time-memory trade-off technique. It is a brute force hash cracker that generates all possible plaintexts and then computes the corresponding hashes on the fly. Next, it compares the hashes to the one that needs to be cracked.&nbsp;
If a match has been found, then the plaintext has also been found. Conversely, if all possible plaintexts have been tested, but no match has been found, then the plaintext has not been found.&nbsp;
RainbowCrack requires a pre-computation stage that involves time-consuming computations.
<h3>Wfuzz</h3>
Wfuzz is another tool designed to brute force attack web applications. It was originally created to assess web applications, but it can also be used to find hidden resources, e.g., directories, servlets, and scripts.
<h3>Cain and Abel</h3>
Cain and Abel is a password recovery tool. It is available for Microsoft operating systems. It can help recover lost passwords by using several types of attacks. These include dictionary attacks, brute force attacks, and cryptanalysis attacks.&nbsp;
It can also decode scrambled passwords, record VoIP conversations, reveal password boxes, uncover cached passwords, recover wireless network keys, and analyze routing protocols.
Cain and Abel was originally developed for use by network administrators, teachers, security consultants, forensic investigators, network penetration testers, etc.&lrm; &lrm;
<h3>THC Hydra</h3>
THC Hydra is a common choice for performing brute force cracks of remote authentication services because it can perform quick dictionary attacks on more than 50 protocols, such as Telnet, FTP, HTTP, https, smb, and various databases.
THC Hydra is a fast network login password cracking tool. New modules can be installed easily to enhance its features. It is currently available for Windows, Linux, Free BSD, Solaris, and OS X.
<h3>Ncrack</h3>
Ncrack is another fast network authentication cracking tool. It was originally designed to help companies improve the security of their networks by testing their hosts and network devices for poor passwords.&nbsp;
Because Ncrack enables rapid, reliable, and large-scale password auditing, it is also used by security professionals. Furthermore, it has a flexible interface that gives the user full control of network operations.&nbsp;
The protocols supported include RDP, SSH, HTTP(S), SMB, POP3(S), VNC, FTP, SIP, Redis, PostgreSQL, MySQL, and Telnet.
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<h2>What are common issues found in when you audit passwords?</h2>
<h3>Weak Passwords</h3>
Weak passwords are too short, too simple, or too common.&nbsp;
The too short and/or too common passwords can be found easily through brute force attacks because the total number of testable passwords before hitting the correct password combination is too low compared to modern computing as a service capabilities.&nbsp;
Too common passwords, for example, your child&rsquo;s name, are highly vulnerable to dictionary attacks.&nbsp;
Whichever type of weak passwords is found, all affected passwords should be changed immediately.
<h3>Compromised Passwords</h3>
A &ldquo;pwned&rdquo; password is one that has been leaked online. This is when a username and password combination has been hacked on some site, so hackers can integrate those credentials into the ones they test when trying to break into other networks.&nbsp;
Since people regularly reuse passwords despite all recommendations against the practice, these pwned passwords are likely to show up on your network, and they need to be changed asap.
<h3>Identical Passwords</h3>
If the same password is being used for several accounts, this is another risk that can be found during password audits. Be sure to replace these repeated credentials.
<h3>Expired Passwords</h3>
Depending on security requirements, passwords can expire. If expired passwords are being found, then they need to be changed. A good password audit will show currently expired as well as soon-to-be expired passwords.
Whatever issues are found during your password audit, the best thing you can do to prevent further issues is to help your users create strong passwords by providing a password manager. Only with <a href="https://app.teampassword.com/dashboard#signup/testimonial">TeamPassword</a> can you facilitate your team in being proactive participants in network security.&nbsp;
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This article explains how to audit your passwords, what auditing your passwords means, and why you should audit passwords. | TeamPassword

This article explains how to audit your passwords, what auditing your passwords means, and why you should audit ...

How to Audit Passwords

Getting a joint credit card account is common for married couples - but you&rsquo;re not married to your coworkers. Usually married people will eventually combine their finances to some degree, and sharing credit cards to increase their rewards points or cashback is a natural part of that process.
But what about coworkers? Is it ever safe to share credit cards with coworkers? Although many companies will be tempted to share credit card numbers across teams to make small purchases easier, there really is no safe way to share credit cards.&nbsp;
While sharing credit cards with coworkers safely isn&rsquo;t really possible, you can share passwords across your team with <a href="https://teampassword.com/">TeamPassword</a>.&nbsp;
As your company increases the number of different online services you utilize to compete in the modern ecommerce landscape, it becomes harder for your employees to keep track of all of their login information. This leads to password <a href="https://teampassword.com/blog/colonial-pipeline-ransomware-attack-dont-reuse-passwords">reuse</a> or weak passwords.&nbsp;
TeamPassword can increase productivity at the same time as improving your security.
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<h2>What is a joint credit card account?</h2>
A joint credit card allows you to share a credit card with another person, usually your spouse or family member. It is very rare to share credit cards with coworkers in this way.
This is different from adding an authorized user to your account because, as joint account holders, both users of the credit card are legally responsible for the combined debt accrued by both users.
Conversely, an authorized user is permitted to make purchases with the card, but they are not responsible for the debt. Only the account owner may be penalized if they fail to repay the debt or miss payments.
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<h2>Should you open a joint credit card account?</h2>
Sharing a credit card requires a lot of trust. It also requires a firm understanding of the spending habits of each joint account holder. In the case of sharing credit cards with coworkers, all of these issues are exacerbated.
That&rsquo;s why at TeamPassword we are inundated with emails from clients asking about how to share credit cards with coworkers using our password manager.&nbsp;
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<h2>The problem with opening a joint credit card account</h2>
Here is a composite of several emails we have received recently:
Hi there,

We have recently started using TeamPassword to share login information across our team and it's been great.&nbsp;
However, we&rsquo;d also like to be sharing credit cards with coworkers. We are a small business and usually only an account manager needs to have access to the cards, but at times other team members also need to pay for expenses.
We are currently using TeamPassword to share credit card numbers.&nbsp;
Right now, we have the cardholder name as a username, the credit card number as a password, and use the notes section for the three-digit code on the back, the expiry date, and the billing address.
Is this safe? Is this advisable? Is there a better way of doing this?

Thank you!
Basically, some clients are using their password manager vault to share credit card numbers with coworkers. Let&rsquo;s answer the questions asked in this email.&nbsp;
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<h2>Is it safe?</h2>
TeamPassword is an incredibly secure system, based around two-factor authentication (2FA) and the latest cryptography best practices. While your credit card is stored in your TeamPassword vault, it is safe.
When you save new passwords, or your credit card number to share with coworkers, the data is hashed, salted, and encrypted locally on your computer before being uploaded to TeamPassword via an encrypted connection. This level of encryption makes it impossible for criminals to intercept your passwords.
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Sign up today for a <a href="https://app.teampassword.com/dashboard#signup/testimonial">free 14-day TeamPassword trial</a> and protect your company's digital assets from cybercriminals.
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<h2>Is it advisable?</h2>
While the password is safe in the Internet security sense of the word, we cannot say this is an advisable solution. There are a couple main reasons why we recommend against using a password manager to share credit cards with coworkers.&nbsp;
First, since your team members are not authorized users on the account, giving them access to your private information is not a good idea.&nbsp;
It might even void your credit card&rsquo;s anti-theft/fraud insurance if they find out that the thief got your credit card information from you sharing your credit card information contrary to the terms of service agreement for your card.
Second, as much as we all love our teammates and hope our time together never ends, sadly, employees leave from time to time, and in this case, they could leave after writing your credit card number down.&nbsp;
With a password, you can easily get TeamPassword to create new passwords for every account after a team member departs. However, this is not so easy or convenient with a credit card number.
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<h2>Is there a better way?</h2>
While there might not be a better way to share your credit card number with coworkers, especially when they are not next to you in the office during these COVID-19 times, there are two better ways to deal with this issue.&nbsp;
<h3>Reimbursement</h3>
The classic approach to this problem is to have your employees use their own credit cards, send you a copy of the receipt, and then reimburse them.&nbsp;
Keep in mind that employees will be aggravated if they find themselves jumping through a lot of hoops to be reimbursed, waiting months to be reimbursed, or find reasonable purchases being denied reimbursements.&nbsp;
Conversely, if you are prompt about reimbursing your team members, the perk of earning air miles or cash back at work might make this their preferred solution.
<h3>A special corporate credit card</h3>
While corporate credit cards are becoming less common over time, Stripe has recently released The Stripe Corporate Card, a corporate card designed for the modern work experience.
<a href="https://stripe.com/corporate-card">The Stripe Corporate Card</a> is an easy way for everyone in your company to handle expenses.&nbsp;
While we recommend against using <a href="https://app.teampassword.com/dashboard#signup/testimonial">TeamPassword</a> for sharing credit cards with coworkers, our secure password manager is still great at keeping your other information secure online while being accessible to the whole team.&nbsp;
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<a href="https://app.teampassword.com/dashboard#signup/testimonial">Sign up for a 14-day free trial</a> to test TeamPassword with your team members today.

This article explains when, how, and with whom to share credit cards safely and whether sharing credit cards with coworkers is safe.

This article explains when, how, and with whom to share credit cards safely and whether sharing credit cards ...

Sharing Credit Cards with Coworkers

(Trigger warning: This conversation deals with issues that can be triggering to some victims. The content includes sexual assault and abuse, including minors, and while all attempts have been made to keep the specifics as minimal as possible, this is a very difficult topic to read about for everybody and especially those who have suffered or continue to suffer. Please prepare yourself or consider reading this similar <a href="https://www.teampassword.com/blog/extortion-emails-what-they-are-how-do-they-happen">article about more general cases of extortion</a>.)
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Sextortion actually refers to two separate, heinous crimes. On the one hand, it is the act of coercing someone through threats or promises to perform sexual acts. In this case, the victims are often underage.
On the other hand, sextortion can also refer to the act of blackmailing someone into performing other actions under the threat of the release of sexually explicit material. For example, a hacker may find nude photos of the would-be victim and then use those photos to coerce them into giving up their company login credentials to facilitate committing further cybercrimes.&nbsp;
Don't let yourself fall victim to sextortion, extortion emails, credential stuffing, and other password vulnerabilities. Let <a href="https://app.teampassword.com/dashboard#signup/testimonial">TeamPassword</a> take care of security while you focus on growing a successful business!
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<a href="https://app.teampassword.com/dashboard#signup/testimonial">Sign up for a 14-day free trial</a> to test TeamPassword with your team members today.
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<h2>What is sextortion</h2>
Sending nude photos has become a common form of flirtation. So long as both parties are consenting adults, there is nothing inherently wrong with such expression. However, when you use webcams for such flirtations with strangers on the Internet, you risk the person not being who they say they are.&nbsp;
Many criminals prey on the lonely, using fake personas to gain their victim&rsquo;s trust. As part of this elaborate extortion plan, they get the victim to perform sexual acts in front of their camera.&nbsp;
By enticing the person to perform such acts, whether by acting as a friendly ear to all the victim&rsquo;s problems to groom children or posing as an attractive woman to get adults to strip, they then gain sexually explicit imagery of the victim to use as a further coercive tool.&nbsp;
These video recordings are then leveraged against the victim to extort them into performing further acts. This sextortion can be to perform further sexual acts. For example, they may then force women to further provide nude videos to sextort others or force them to perform sexual acts in person.&nbsp;
Alternatively, the sextortion might come in the form of threatening to release the videos if certain conditions aren&rsquo;t met. This is often the case when a closeted member of the LGBT community is being threatened over sexual details which would reveal their sexual preference.&nbsp;
It could also be the case that a person is married, and this would be leveraged against the threat of sending adulterous evidence to their spouse.
Sadly, &ldquo;slut-shaming&rdquo; and other misogynist views about the differential sexuality of men and women, or girls and boys as the case may be, means that simply threatening to release nude photos of a female victim can be used to coerce her to be a part of further sexual victimhood.&nbsp;
However, it is worth underlining that both men and women of all ages can be victims. The best way to prevent becoming a victim is to be careful with whom you communicate online and how you communicate with them.
Sextortion can take the form of being blackmailed or being coerced into carrying out sexual acts. Let&rsquo;s look at these two different forms of sextortion.
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<h2>Sextortion as abuse of power</h2>
In the case of sextortion as an abuse of power, a person in authority uses their authority to coerce someone into performing sexual acts. For example, sextortion may be demanded by a judge from a defendant, a teacher from a student, a police officer from a prostitute, or a boss from an employee.&nbsp;
In the case of the latter, Harvey Weinstein became a household name after it came to light that he had sextorted many young Hollywood starlets seeking a career on the big screen. In this case, as well as many others, non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) were abused to keep the sextortion secret for years.&nbsp;
This form of sextortion is incredibly hard to prevent. Someone in a position of authority is abusing that authority, and your only course of action is to report it to the authorities immediately. Since they have some power over you as well as a reasonable circumstance to find themselves alone with you, it can be frustratingly hard to prevent, escape, and prove. This has been a major antecedent of the #metoo movement.
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<h2>Sextortion as a form of blackmail</h2>
In this form of sextortion, the criminal uses sexually explicit material produced by the victim to force them to perform further acts.&nbsp;
The criminal first acquires sexually explicit material through one of many different ways. They may have used some catfishing tactics to trick the victim into sharing the content. They may have hacked the victim&rsquo;s smartphone, intercepted their sexually explicit SMS images, or even <a href="https://teampassword.com/blog/what-happened-with-the-zoom-credentials-hack">taken control of their webcam</a> to record the victim changing or performing sexual acts without them knowing.
Once the perpetrator has sexually explicit material from the victim, they use the threat of its release and the implications therein&mdash;from potentially ruining a marriage to outing a person as a member of the LGBT community&mdash;to gain leverage over the victim.&nbsp;
The victim is then forced to act as the blackmailer so desires. In many cases, this means performing further sexual acts. The victim might even be forced into hardcore pornography or to sexually gratify the perpetrator in person.&nbsp;
Alternatively, the victim may be forced to pay money for silence (and then, likely, forced, again and again, to pay even more). There are also cases where high-ranking government or business officials have been sextorted to abuse their position on behalf of the sextortionist.&nbsp;
<a href="https://app.teampassword.com/dashboard#signup/testimonial">TeamPassword</a> is an accredited secure provider utilizing state-of-the-art encryption technology for its <a href="https://app.teampassword.com/dashboard#signup/testimonial">password manager</a>.
When you save new passwords, the data is hashed, salted, and encrypted locally on your computer before being uploaded to TeamPassword via an encrypted connection. This level of encryption makes it impossible for nefarious actors to intercept your passwords and gain access to any nude selfies you&rsquo;ve sent your partner.
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Sign up today for a <a href="https://app.teampassword.com/dashboard#signup/testimonial">free 14-day TeamPassword trial</a> and protect your company's digital assets from cybercriminals.
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<h2>Has this happened to you or someone you know?</h2>
If you have become a victim of sextortion, there are some things you should do and some things you shouldn&rsquo;t do. It isn&rsquo;t your fault, and there are real actions you can take to remedy the situation. <a href="https://www.opencounseling.com/suicide-hotlines">There is also immediate help available for your emotional state</a>. Here is a list of actions that you can follow when you feel strong enough to make positive changes to your situation.
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Don&rsquo;t Panic: As said above, understand that you are the victim. The sextortion isn&rsquo;t your fault, and it says nothing about who you are. In addition to the help provided by the services linked above, there are places you can find further aid. Indeed, this is a criminal act, and you should report it.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Don&rsquo;t pay: Most studies on sextortion indicate that criminals will not post images of you if you refuse to pay. Indeed, once they post your images or videos, they lose all leverage and any chance of a payout in the future. Conversely, if you do pay, there is no guarantee they will destroy the content. It is, in fact, likely that they will continue to ask for more money knowing that you have paid in the past and likely will again.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Cut off all communication:&nbsp;These criminals will take any communication as an indication that you might be persuaded to accept their blackmail demands in the future, and so they will only continue to make more and more vile arguments and demands in hopes of breaking your will. They will also prey on your emotional state, and you may end up breaking, so it is best to close the chat and block them immediately and any other accounts they create to circumvent the blocking.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Get support:&nbsp;This is a criminal act, and the police are there to help you. You should contact them immediately for help. However, this might not be all the support you need or deserve. Seeking counseling to understand your victimhood and how to mentally recover from such trauma can be key to getting back to your life.</li>
</ul>
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<h2>How can you prevent sextortion?</h2>
With most cybercrime, it is just about being a difficult target. Criminals are going to act in nefarious ways, but you don&rsquo;t need to be the victim. There are some commonsense actions you can take to make it more difficult for would-be criminals to exploit you online.
For example, you should always be careful with whom you chat online. Before sharing sexually explicit materials, take time to consider who you are chatting with and whether you can trust them.
You should also make sure to employ the latest security measures. <a href="https://teampassword.com/blog/password-manager-with-2fa">Two-factor analysis</a> and <a href="about:blank">biometrics</a> can increase your safety online. Using unique and complicated passwords for every site is also an important measure.
In our quest to become more secure, passwords become less and less easy to remember. Let <a href="https://app.teampassword.com/dashboard#signup/testimonial">TeamPassword</a> take care of securely remembering your passwords while you focus on growing a successful business!
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<a href="https://app.teampassword.com/dashboard#signup/testimonial">Sign up for a 14-day free trial</a> to test TeamPassword with your team members today.

This article explains what sextortion is, how it happens, and how to reduce your risk of becoming a victim of sextortion. | TeamPassword

This article explains what sextortion is, how it happens, and how to reduce your risk of becoming a ...

What Is Sextortion and How Can You Prevent It?

Team Password Blog | Author timothy-ware | Page 1

Learn what to do if you forgot your Facebook password and how to use TeamPassword to make sure you never forget a password again.

Learn what to do if you forgot your Facebook password and how to use TeamPassword to make sure ...

What to do if you forgot your Facebook password?

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

Have I been hacked? Here's how to check if you have and learn how to stop hackers from ...

Have I Been Hacked? How to Know for Sure.

In an increasingly digital world, we&rsquo;re switching more and more of our daily lives over to the Internet. While this brave new world is exciting and convenient, it&rsquo;s not without its problems.&nbsp;
The issue of unsafe passwords has been around for a while. But have you ever thought about where and how to store them?
Most of us have several passwords, and we&rsquo;re encouraged to never duplicate them. Some people simply write them all down on a piece of paper &mdash; which is fraught with danger. But others store their passwords electronically.
As you&rsquo;re about to find out, not all electronic systems of password storage are <a href="https://www.teampassword.com/blog/10-things-you-need-to-do-to-keep-passwords-safe" target="_blank" rel="noopener">safe</a>. Here are five of the most dangerous ways to store your passwords.&nbsp;
But before we begin:
Avoid bad idea passwords and dangerous storage methods with TeamPassword. This advanced <a href="https://www.teampassword.com/blog/why-you-need-a-password-manager" target="_blank" rel="noopener">password manager</a> features a selection of security features, including password encryption and two-step verification. Sign up for a <a href="https://app.teampassword.com/dashboard#signup/testimonial" rel="follow">free trial</a> today.&nbsp;

<h2>1. Email</h2>
Have you ever emailed yourself a password to ensure you&rsquo;re never without it? Great idea, right? Actually, emailing yourself your passwords is a really bad idea, and here&rsquo;s why:
<ul>
<li>Emails are usually sent in plain text. Without encryption, your passwords are susceptible if your email account is ever compromised.&nbsp;</li>
<li>Unsafe passwords sent via email often pass through several systems and servers. There&rsquo;ll also be a copy in your sent folder. If someone else can access your email account, your passwords become vulnerable.&nbsp;</li>
<li>Some email platforms store data locally on a drive. If someone steals your computer, phone, or tablet, your passwords become vulnerable.</li>
</ul>
A really bad idea for passwords is to send them via email &mdash; either to yourself or someone else. <a href="https://www.teampassword.com/blog/have-i-been-hacked-how-to-know-for-sure" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Hackers </a>and scammers are more resourceful than ever, and they can often steal your information before you realize you&rsquo;ve been compromised.&nbsp;
It&rsquo;s tempting to send a quick email to yourself containing unsafe passwords when you sign up for new online services. For the sake of an extra minute or two, don&rsquo;t give fraudsters easy access to your accounts. Use an encrypted email vault to safeguard all your passwords.&nbsp;
<h2>2. Online Documents</h2>
A lot of people like the convenience of saving crucial information using online document systems such as Google Docs. But this is a bad idea for passwords, as these systems are designed for text &mdash; not sensitive data.
Yes, a password might protect your online document manager from unauthorized access. But what happens if that password is compromised? Many document software platforms don&rsquo;t offer encryption, two-step verification, or even the most basic security measures.&nbsp;
If you use online documents regularly, you&rsquo;re probably accessing your account on a regular basis &mdash; across several devices. What happens if you step away for a moment to buy a coffee, speak to a friend, or use the bathroom?
A criminal can access an unattended online document platform in seconds. And if this happens, it doesn't take a lot of effort to steal your unsafe passwords.&nbsp;
<h2>3. Instant Messaging Service</h2>
Instant messaging services provide us with a convenient way of staying in touch with friends and family. WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, and Snapchat were designed for private online conversations &mdash; not for storing passwords.
People who store their passwords on these apps do so because they believe they&rsquo;re fully encrypted. While that&rsquo;s often the case, it&rsquo;s important to remember that instant messaging services are often left open and operating in the background.
Imagine someone picks up your phone while you&rsquo;re not paying attention. If you left your device unlocked, that person would be able to access your password in seconds.
It&rsquo;s always a bad idea when passwords are stored on instant messaging services. By nature, these apps are designed to operate in the background &mdash; alerting you when someone sends a message. And because they&rsquo;re open, anyone with the device in their hand might be able to steal your unprotected passwords.&nbsp;
Don&rsquo;t fall into the trap of utilizing bad ideas for password storage. Sign up for a <a href="https://app.teampassword.com/dashboard#signup/testimonial" target="_blank" rel="noopener">free trial</a> with TeamPassword, and give your unsafe passwords the protection they require.
<h2>4. Online Note-taker</h2>
Developers design online note-takers for everyday lists and reminders. While they&rsquo;re great for creating to-do and shopping lists, they&rsquo;re not so good for storing unsafe passwords.&nbsp;
An app such as Apple Notes is easy to use, accessible, and convenient. But it doesn&rsquo;t offer two-step authentication, encryption, or any sophisticated form of security.&nbsp;
If your computer or mobile device is unlocked, your saved passwords are vulnerable. In many cases, a criminal would simply need to open the app to gain access to your sensitive information.&nbsp;
OK, you might be extra vigilant when it comes to keeping your phone or computer locked. But hackers are resourceful, and they&rsquo;re very good at discovering unsafe passwords. Once they access your phone, any passwords stored in your note-taking app become vulnerable.&nbsp;
<h2>5. On a Non-Password-Protected Device</h2>
Of all the bad ideas for passwords, storing them on non-password-protected devices is about the worst. You might think that your tablet or laptop never leaves your side. But if your device is ever stolen, you&rsquo;ve given the criminals the easiest possible opportunity to access your saved passwords.&nbsp;
If you&rsquo;re determined to store passwords on a physical device &mdash; which is never a good idea &mdash; make sure the device password is a complex combination of letters, numbers, and symbols. And it should contain at least 12 characters.&nbsp;
<h2>Use TeamPassword for Extra Protection</h2>
Remembering and safely storing a dozen or more passwords isn&rsquo;t a simple task. By locking away all your passwords in a digital vault, you get maximum protection and easy access.&nbsp;
TeamPassword offers a range of <a href="https://www.teampassword.com/security" target="_blank" rel="noopener">security features</a> &mdash; designed to keep your passwords safe. Offering two-step authentication and encryption, this powerful protection system solves the problem of unsafe passwords with ease. Sign up for a <a href="https://app.teampassword.com/dashboard#signup/testimonial" target="_blank" rel="noopener">free trial</a> to see these exciting features for yourself.&nbsp;

Storing passwords inappropriately can leave you open to fraud and theft. Avoid these storage methods at all costs. | TeamPassword Blog

Storing passwords inappropriately can leave you open to fraud and theft. Avoid these storage methods at all costs. ...

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