See the best way to come up with a new username. We break down types of usernames and give you the best username ideas out there.

See the best way to come up with a new username. We break down types of usernames, why ...

How to Make a Good Username | Create a Unique and Secure Username

See the best way to come up with a new username. We break down types of usernames, why secure usernames are important, and how to create them effectively!

Password theft remains a constant concern among organizations in the digital world. External malicious actors have stolen passwords through<a href="https://www.teampassword.com/blog/the-scariest-data-breaches-of-all-time" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> sophisticated cyber attacks</a> that involve social engineering and phishing tactics. However, at times,&nbsp;the threat of cyber theft may stem from within an organization - dissatisfied former employees with malicious intentions.&nbsp;
The consequences of data breaches from ex-employees can be devastating to the organization. Some examples include the loss of corporate secrets, service disruptions, and compromised customer data. To avoid insider threats, organizations should implement reliable password management software and safety procedures to safeguard their networks.&nbsp;
TeamPassword&rsquo;s advanced password management features, such as multi-factor authentication, and random password generation, can help teams ward off an internal password theft attack.<a href="https://app.teampassword.com/dashboard#signup/testimonial" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> Sign up for a trial</a> to protect your precious company assets.&nbsp;

<h2>1) Systematic Password Handovers&nbsp;</h2>
The first and most direct step involves obtaining all account passwords from employees before they leave the company. Additionally, organizations should change the passwords or reset them before entrusting accounts to the next position holder. By doing so, organizations can reduce the risks of former employees remotely accessing workplace accounts.&nbsp;
Additionally, employers should revoke all access privileges from ex-employees immediately. For greater assurance, organizations should implement a real-time monitoring system that tracks the permissions granted to each user within each component of the organizational network.&nbsp;
An advanced monitor system enables administrators to maintain surveillance over user interactions and identify unusual behaviour, suggesting a sign of a data breach. These include a spike in user activity, large file transfers, and the access of rarely accessed documents.&nbsp;

<h2>2) Consider Professional Shredding Services</h2>
In some cases, organizations may consider hiring the services of a professional digital shredder. Like conventional office shredders on paper documents, professional digital shredders render digital information unreadable and prevent the risks of unauthorized access. The method works best for obsolete documents that may contain highly confidential information - such as workplace passwords.&nbsp;

<h2>3) Password Protection Training&nbsp;</h2>
Regular password protection training can help current and future employees safeguard their credentials, especially in unprotected online conversations with former colleagues. Employees will also learn the importance of setting up complex passwords and <a href="https://www.teampassword.com/blog/top-five-mistakes-when-sharing-passwords-with-your-team" target="_blank" rel="noopener">avoiding easily hacked combinations</a> (i.e., repeated letters or birthdates).&nbsp;
Through specialized training, employees will also learn how to spot the signs of password theft and avoid sharing confidential information in personal communication apps and other high-risk peer-to-peer (P2P) file-sharing applications.&nbsp;

<h2>4) Deploy Encryption</h2>
Encryption provides confidential information with an additional layer of protection. By encrypting communication channels and account logins, organizations prevent former employees from accessing and using unauthorized information without the required key.&nbsp;
TeamPassword&rsquo;s password manager offers built-in encryption that protects valuable credentials from unauthorized parties. <a href="https://app.teampassword.com/dashboard#signup/testimonial" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Begin with a trial </a>to start benefitting from improved password protection.&nbsp;

<h2>5) Remove Unused Accounts</h2>
Resourceful ex-employees may resort to locating and accessing idle/inactive organizational accounts as a backdoor into the network. As such, employers should perform regular audits to detect and deactivate unused accounts that may potentially serve as a medium for stealing passwords. 
Typically, organizations should consider enforcing&nbsp;a security protocol that eliminates accounts that have been inactive for more than three months.&nbsp;

<h2>6) Enforce Principle of Least Privilege&nbsp;</h2>
The principle of least privilege (POLP) is an information security policy that restricts employee accounts to the minimum permissions required to perform their routine tasks and roles.&nbsp;
While POLP does not prevent data theft, it reduces the impact of password theft and compromised accounts. Organizations should consider enforcing&nbsp;POLP in addition to password protection initiatives to optimize their network security.&nbsp;

<h2>7) Implement Anti-theft Surveillance&nbsp;</h2>
Organizations should apply constant surveillance at workstations to prevent opportunistic physical access and theft of hard drives, laptops, and other portable devices. BYOD practices may lead to increased vulnerabilities, with employees storing passwords on personal devices.&nbsp;
Therefore, employees should provide constant reminders on the importance of password protection beyond the workplace. Alternatively, employers may consider adopting employee policies that ban the storage of corporate passwords in personal devices (because of limited surveillance and higher risks of a compromise).&nbsp;

<h2>8) Adopt Strict Data Policies</h2>
A clear and systematic series of employee policies will help deter password theft in the long term. For example, companies may exclude employees from administrator roles/groups containing a wide range of permissions that have devastating consequences if compromised. Data classification and retention policies identify all data generated within an organizational system and how long it stays.&nbsp;
Well-defined data policies enable more reliable tracking and management of data end-points and user access to minimize the risks of password theft.&nbsp;

<h2>9) Apply a Trusted Password Manager&nbsp;</h2>
TeamPassword&rsquo;s reliable password manager application enables teams to conveniently store and access their respective passwords while keeping them encrypted and secure. The advanced program works from desktops, laptops, and other mobile devices. The software syncs in real-time, providing unmatched accountability by logging the activities of each user.&nbsp;
Teams may look forward to <a href="https://www.teampassword.com/blog/the-most-secure-way-to-share-passwords" target="_blank" rel="noopener">sharing their passwords with peace of mind</a> with TeamPassword&rsquo;s intuitive solution. With a few simple clicks, organizations can provide users with access or remove them from a group. Whether it is a collaboration within the departments and internal teams or with external coordinators, TeamPassword makes password management safe and effortless.&nbsp;
With TeamPassword, you can reduce the risks of internal threats and.<a href="https://app.teampassword.com/dashboard#signup/testimonial" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> Start a free trial today</a> to optimize your organization&rsquo;s password management practices.&nbsp;

Password theft may occur at times from ex-employees with bad intentions. Companies can prevent threats by adopting these safety measures.

Password theft may occur at times from ex-employees with bad intentions. Companies can prevent threats by adopting these ...

Prevent Password Theft From Ex-Employees

Passwords have become a quintessential part of the modern digital workplace. However, the practice of sharing passwords come fraught with vulnerabilities that make companies susceptible to cyber breaches, identity theft, and confidentiality issues. You will need to ensure constant and reliable password protection with the proper measures, even when sharing them with the most trusted co-workers at the office.
<a href="https://teampassword.com/blog/common-password-problems-faced-small-organizations" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Various problems may arise</a>&nbsp;when sharing passwords, especially in smaller organizations that lack a robust cybersecurity infrastructure due to budget constraints. That&rsquo;s where a password manager can come in to save your organization valuable time and provide advanced passwords that deter the most determined cyber attackers.&nbsp;
TeamPassword&rsquo;s password management solution can help avoid common mistakes when sharing passwords. Try a<a href="https://app.teampassword.com/dashboard#signup/testimonial" target="_blank" rel="noopener">&nbsp;free trial today</a>.&nbsp;

<h2>Common Mistakes in Sharing Passwords #1 - Creating Simple Passwords</h2>

Simple passwords make it easier for malicious attackers to mimic and compromise. Common examples of such vulnerable passwords include &ldquo;123456&rdquo;, repeated numbers (e.g., 1111, 2222), and digits of personal value criminals can find with quick research across social media accounts.&nbsp;
Organizations should change default passwords upon account creation and make immediate changes when employees leave a company. Former employee accounts may threaten an organization&rsquo;s network if they fall into the wrong hands - an issue worsened with weak passwords.&nbsp;
While some software and platforms require users to include a set of mandatory rules (e.g., capitalized letters and symbols) in their passwords, they may remain vulnerable to the most resourceful malicious parties.&nbsp;

<h2>Common Mistakes in Sharing Passwords #2 - Storing Passwords in Plaintext</h2>

The plaintext is the unencrypted and vulnerable version of your files and documents. When you store your list of passwords in a word document on your workplace computer, it exists in plaintext format. A sophisticated malware invasion easily compromises Plaintext files and siphons the information to unauthorized third parties.&nbsp;&nbsp;
TeamPassword&rsquo;s advanced password manager tool keeps your passwords secure and encrypted, reducing the risks of data theft and cyber breaches.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<h2>Common Mistakes in Sharing Passwords #3 - Applying the Same Password Everywhere</h2>

It is common for users to<a href="https://teampassword.com/blog/the-state-of-the-password-problem-in-2021" target="_blank" rel="noopener">&nbsp;rely on a single password</a>&nbsp;for every account login across multiple programs and devices. The practice reduces the risks of forgetting a password and getting locked out from a system with numerous failed attempts. However, this also means that a single compromised password may jeopardize every other account accessible by a user.&nbsp;
Some users may choose to add numerical variations to the back of a password as an additional measure. Still, sophisticated actors can negate efforts with brute force attacks that try all possible&nbsp;combinations. Instead, before sharing passwords, users should stick to memorable but superficially meaningless strings of values, which should differ among platforms and devices.&nbsp;

<h2>Common Mistakes in Sharing Passwords #4 - &ldquo;Remembering Passwords&rdquo;</h2>

The &ldquo;remember my password&rdquo; feature enables quick logins with minimal fuss. However, the shortcut feature may prove to be a severe security issue when sharing passwords at the workplace. A remembered password enables an unauthorized user to bypass an organization&rsquo;s network security, resulting in compromised data from insider threats.&nbsp;
Remembered passwords should only apply to personal devices and networks, and with the rise of home-based offices, manual key-ins should be a priority. Password managers can help users enhance the infrastructure of their smart homes and&nbsp;<a href="https://teampassword.com/blog/7-tips-to-secure-your-smart-home-and-iot-devices" target="_blank" rel="noopener">secure their IoT devices.</a>&nbsp;

<h2>Common Mistakes in Sharing Passwords #5 - Changing Passwords Frequently</h2>

Users should only change their passwords when they suspect a threat or compromised account. Frequent password changes with no good reason may lead to unforeseen account vulnerabilities. For example, users tend to&nbsp;stick to similar passwords when making the change, resulting in predictable transformations that malicious actors can easily detect and exploit.
<a href="https://app.teampassword.com/dashboard#signup/testimonial" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Try TeamPassword&rsquo;s password manager</a>&nbsp;to discover how you can enhance your login security across all networks and devices.&nbsp;

<h2>Sharing Passwords with TeamPassword&rsquo;s Leading Solution</h2>

TeamPassword provides you and your team with the additional measures necessary when sharing your passwords. Our suite of services caters to your team&rsquo;s specific needs and demands to minimize the risks of external threats. TeamPassword&rsquo;s password manager generates long and unique passwords that organizations can safely share across teams.&nbsp;
Password managers can eliminate the account management hassle by limiting to a single login and password combination. With a password manager, organizations can effectively share passwords among users and prevent unwanted access along the way.&nbsp;
We provide password protection for teams of all sizes and backgrounds, ranging from solo digital nomads to full-fledged tech agencies. The TeamPassword solution avoids time-consuming onboarding to help your teams benefit from improved security without delay. Our password manager supports real-time access control to authenticate every login on your protected end-points while sharing passwords across teams.&nbsp;
It&rsquo;s time to replace those spreadsheets and outmoded first-gen solutions with a reliable system for your most precious credentials. Visit TeamPassword today to&nbsp;experience advanced and fuss-free password sharing for teams to focus on your business with peace of mind.&nbsp;Start today with the&nbsp;<a href="https://app.teampassword.com/dashboard#signup/testimonial" target="_blank" rel="noopener">free trial</a>.

Avoid these five common mistakes when sharing passwords to keep your workplace systems and networks free from common cybersecurity threats.

Avoid these five common mistakes when sharing passwords to keep your workplace systems and networks free from common ...

Top Five Mistakes When Sharing Passwords with Your Team

Amid a global pandemic, studies have found that nearly <a href="https://news.stanford.edu/2020/06/29/snapshot-new-working-home-economy/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">42 percent of the United States workforce</a> has shifted to remote work. This unprecedented reliance on technology, while effective in maintaining an operational business, presents a challenge for remote work security. While those in the IT field have grown accustomed to working remotely over the years, the practice remains foreign to most employees.
Because of the sheer volume of unpracticed employees who are working remotely, cybercriminals are fully embracing the situation. This makes the risk of cyberattacks that lead to data breaches and theft greater than ever. With <a href="https://www.educationconnection.com/resources/12-must-know-cybersecurity-facts/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">53 percent of these cyber-attacks</a> resulting in damages that exceed $500,000, remote work security must be a priority to protect the business and individual employees.
TeamPassword offers&nbsp;the best software to generate and have your passwords managed correctly. If you would like to learn more about it, please&nbsp;click <a href="https://app.teampassword.com/dashboard#signup/testimonial">here</a>&nbsp;to sign up today.&nbsp;
here are five tips uncovered to increase security for your remote workforce:
<h2>1. Use TeamPassword</h2>
Unfortunately, collaborative efforts in the virtual realm mean passwords are shared frequently. Whether through email, Zoom meetings or digital documents, the risk of passwords being intercepted by unauthorized individuals is extremely high. Using a password manager can prevent this from occurring as it allows shared passwords to be encrypted or created with a <a href="https://www.teampassword.com/password-generator" target="_blank" rel="noopener">password generator.</a>
TeamPassword is a highly regarded password manager designed specifically with teams in mind. It offers a plethora of security-enhancing features like a unique password generator, encryption, activity logs and two-step verification.
<h2>2. Educate Employees</h2>
One of the simplest yet most effective ways to improve remote work security is to educate employees of the potential dangers lurking behind their screens. While they may be familiar with using some same applications and software systems, others may be foreign which can make them more susceptible to threats. Be sure to educate employees on safe practices with each of the tools that are being used.
Additionally, cybercriminals are using the nationwide increase in remote work environments to their advantage by ramping up e-mail phishing scams. In some cases, they may send malware as an attachment or a link that appears to come from a co-worker or an authoritative resource regarding the pandemic itself. While spam filters and anti-virus protection software can help weed out some of these threats, it is much more effective to make others aware of these attacks.
<h2>3. Don&rsquo;t Delay Updates</h2>
As those in the IT field know all too well, software updates are frequent yet necessary. This is because updates often address security flaws and provide additional upgrades to safeguard data. Updates should be installed as soon as they are released to offer the most protection.
To ensure this is done on all devices, companywide e-mails can be sent instructing employees to install updates after they are released. For those that are unfamiliar with such actions, it may be helpful to e-mail a simple, step-by-step tutorial to ensure that all employees are protected. This same method can also be used when introducing new remote work security features like <a href="https://app.teampassword.com/dashboard#signup/testimonial" target="_blank" rel="follow noopener">TeamPassword</a> to ensure all employees understand how to use them.
<h2>4. Use Separate Devices</h2>
Another important step that remote workforces can take to ensure the security of all employees is to insist that personal and work devices are kept separate. Employer-provided laptops should be distributed along with strict rules that prohibit the use of devices for personal activities like online shopping, bill payments or video streaming. Additionally, friends and family members must not use the devices.
Despite these efforts, many employees find the use of personal devices necessary to complete their work daily. In these cases, they should make use of a virtual private network (VPN) to ensure that data is encrypted. Likewise, all business messages and documents should be handled using corporate software that focuses on remote work security instead of personal accounts which are often laxer with security and encryption.
<h2>5. Activate Multi-Factor Authentication</h2>
To prevent unauthorized individuals from accessing sensitive data, multi-factor authentication is highly effective. With this method, users are required to provide more than one form of authentication. This may mean that they utilize biometrics, voice recognition or a code on their smartphone.
Although many dread the thought of taking an extra step to access their business accounts, it is one of the most effective measures that a remote workforce can take to secure remote work for all parties. Another option for implementing multi-factor authentication is the 2-step verification process offered with TeamPassword.
<h2>Try TeamPassword</h2>
If your business is searching for a way to enhance security for remote work, explore all of the benefits that TeamPassword has to offer. Get started now with a <a href="https://app.teampassword.com/dashboard#signup/testimonial" target="_blank" rel="follow noopener">14-day free trial</a> before making a commitment.

Remote work security is a crucial concept when working at home/abroad. Learn and Discover our top tips to keep your remote workforce secure.

Remote work security is a crucial concept when working at home/abroad. Learn and Discover our top tips to ...

5 Tips to Increase Security for Your Remote Workforce

Five Tips to Increase Security for Your Remote Workforce

There are an increasing number of stories focused on the danger for small businesses of not being secure online. The influx of malware and ransomware and the fact that 70% of all cyber attacks are against small businesses rightfully have a lot of small business owners concerned. But, the reason for these risks are surprisingly simple in most cases. The vast majority of hacks are because of human error or small security holes that can be easily patched - primary among them, password management. To address this issue and ensure your business is prepared against common hacks and social engineering that target user passwords, here are some of the most common problems faced and how to address them:
<h2>Employees Using Their Own Devices</h2>
More than 70% of employees access company data from a personal smart phone or tablet at some point. These devices are not always secured the same as your company computers and there's no way to manage their use of passwords or to ensure they avoid open public networks. A strong BYOD policy can ensure employees are more rigorous in protecting company data, and that they use the password manager or system that you put in place to protect against data loss. With employees increasingly working from home or remotely, small businesses should consider what sensitive information is needed for employees to do their jobs, and whether that could end up on a personal device. In cases where this is necessary, providing Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) and a password manager that supports secure sharing is essential. Also, consider doing regular training to ensure employees understand the potential risks and threaten from connecting on unsecure networks (see below).
<h2>Shared or Default Passwords</h2>
Default passwords setup during development or when a new account is created are often not changed, and worse, they can be shared easily between users. In small organizations and startups especially, this is a common problem as software seats may be limited or resources may be shared from a single account. All users should use unique passwords that meet strict guidelines and that they are updated regularly. Default passwords should require update immediately upon account creation, and you should utilize a password manager for all account sharing, and cloud storage for file access sharing. It is far better to use a <a href="https://www.teampassword.com/password-generator" rel="follow">password generator</a> to set a long, unique password. These generators are built into most password managers, and those passwords can be safely shared with multiple teammates.
<h2>Passwords Aren't Secure to Start</h2>
One of the most common problems with passwords is if they are easy to remember, they are also easy to guess! Many people erroneously think that a short password with lots of different character types is secure, when in reality the only way to ensure a truly secure password is to make it at least 12 characters long and somewhat arbitrary. Length is better than complexity in almost every situation with passwords, and keeping them long and complex is the way to go. Random password generators can ensure you have this for all passwords, but without a password manager to organize them, they become impossible to remember and quickly revert for many employees to something simple. In cases where a password must be memorized (like the master password for your password generator), consider using a passphrase (like TeamPassword-is-a-Blue-Padlock) or a mix of different things (like color+animal+place to get Blue-Flamingo-from-Timbuktu). These are surprisingly easy to remember, and if they are over 12 characters and use unusual or&nbsp; non-dictionary words they are very hard to crack.
<h2>Untrained Employees Posing a Risk</h2>
The single most common access point for hackers is your staff. Social engineering through unsolicited attachments, spoofed phone calls, or even looking over the shoulder of someone in a coffee shop leads to more hacks and data loss than malicious data breaches. Train your employees to spot phishing emails and protect with common sense procedures and best practices that you can followup on. With the right combination of password management, training, and procedures for your business, you can greatly reduce the risk of a hack and data loss for your business. The reason so many hackers target small businesses is that they are easy targets without the protocols of enterprise level organizations. Remove the low hanging fruit, and you can keep your company much safer from cyber risk.
<h2>Try TeamPassword</h2>
Using a secure password manager that supports sharing helps address these problems. TeamPassword's intuitive interface makes it the simplest and most secure way to store and share passwords with your team. Find out today by starting <a href="https://app.teampassword.com/dashboard?utm_source=blog&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_campaign=bcms#signup/testimonial" rel="follow">our free 14-day trial.</a>

To ensure your business is prepared against hacks that target user passwords, here are some common problems faced and how to address them.

There are an increasing number of stories focused on the danger for small businesses of not being secure ...

Most Common Password Problems Faced by Small Organizations

There are an increasing number of stories focused on the danger for small businesses of not being secure online. To address this issue and ensure your business is prepared against common hacks and social engineering that target user passwords, here are some of the most common problems faced and how to address them.

One of the top tips for password creation is to make a complex password with a combination of letters, numbers, and symbols that would be difficult to guess. However, the most secure password doesn't stand a chance if anyone on your team falls prey to something called <a href="https://www.csoonline.com/article/2124681/what-is-social-engineering.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">social engineering</a>. There are several social engineering tactics that fool employees into giving out sensitive company information, including passwords to your business's most important assets.
<h2>What is Social Engineering, Exactly?</h2>
With this tactic, fraudsters use psychology against their targets to gain access to information or physical spaces. In opposition to hacking, it uses actual interaction rather than technical skill to get access to the desired information. One might simply call it manipulation or trickery. Scammers usually use either a threat or some kind of reward to trick people into giving them what they want.
<h2>Types of Social Engineering</h2>
<h3>Phishing</h3>
<a href="https://www.csoonline.com/article/2117843/what-is-phishing-how-this-cyber-attack-works-and-how-to-prevent-it.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The phishing scheme</a> has been around since the beginning of the internet. Phishers send out e-mails that appear to be from a legitimate institution, like your bank or even your employer. They try to appear trustworthy - using the same branding.&amp; graphics as the business they are trying to copy. They use this trust to try to get you to give them information like passwords or essential data. Sometimes, phishing attempts try to get users to click a link or download a file that will then install a virus. However, many times they just try to get the user to tell them the information.
The word phishing sounds just like fishing, because that's basically what it is. Hackers put out thousands of lines and see who bites.
<h3>Spear Phishing</h3>
<a href="https://www.csoonline.com/article/3334617/what-is-spear-phishing-why-targeted-email-attacks-are-so-difficult-to-stop.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Spear phishing</a> is basically the same as phishing. However, in regular phishing, hackers send out thousands of untargeted e-mails. Even if just a few people bite, they may still get a big payout. With spear phishing, hackers heavily research one targeted victim, usually an executive or someone with a high profile.
<h3>Vishing</h3>
<a href="https://www.csoonline.com/article/3411439/smishing-and-vishing-how-these-cyber-attacks-work-and-how-to-prevent-them.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Vishing</a> brings together the words "voice" and "phishing." It is a phishing attempt that happens via a phone call. One common example these days is a call from the "IRS" stating that you're in big trouble in the taxes department. Then they ask for your social security number. However, there are many different types of vishing calls one may receive.
<h3>Smishing</h3>
Put together "SMS" and "phishing" and you've got smishing. It is a phishing attempt performed via text message. Scammers use similar tactics as they do in e-mail and voice attempts. They may send a link to the victim's phone to receive a prize, or track a fake package. When the user clicks on the link, they may be brought to a page that asks them to put in sensitive information or simply a payment method that will then be charged.
<h3>In Person Attempts</h3>
Most of these types of attacks are performed online these days. However, they can also be done in person. It may be as simple as someone holding a heavy package asking you to hold the door for them to gain access to a restricted space. Most people have been taught to be nice and hold doors for people holding heavy objects, and these social engineers exploit that quality. In-person social engineers may also try to impersonate someone trustworthy, going as far as getting the right uniform or badge, and doing a lot of research to sound like they are who they say they are.
<h2>How to Help Employees Avoid Social Engineering</h2>
This all sounds scary, right? Con artists are very skilled at gaining access to information, and there are so many attempts performed daily. Luckily, there are ways to reduce the likelihood of a social engineering attack exposing your passwords and company data.
<h3>In-Person Training</h3>
You can bring a trainer into the office for a day of education. This type of class will teach your teams what to look for to verify that messages, calls, and e-mails are from who they say they are. They will also teach employees what type of information they should never give out. Social engineering training may also give your colleagues an idea of what an in-person attempt might look like.
<h3>Online Classes</h3>
Online training reaches the same goal as in-person, except employees can do it on their own time. It doesn't take away a whole day from the business, and workers can break it up into smaller chunks to absorb the information in a way that best suits their learning style.
<h3>Testing</h3>
After training, an important component of social engineering training is testing. You can hire a specialist to send out e-mails, messages, or phone calls to employees to see if they have absorbed the lessons. Once the testing is complete, the specialist will go over the results with you and your team, and see where the weak points are, to help avoid the same mistakes in the future when a real attempt occurs.
<h2>Why It's Worth It?</h2>
This type of hack has led to some expensive mistakes. In 2016, Hillary Clinton's e-mail account famously got exposed through a <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/the-phishing-email-that-hacked-the-account-of-john-podesta/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">spear phishing scheme performed on John Podesta</a>, the campaign's chairman. More recently, <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/security/twitter-breach-exposes-one-tech-s-biggest-threats-its-own-n1234076" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Twitter had a huge breach</a> in which someone took over several high profile accounts, including those belonging to Elon Musk &amp; Joe Biden, to send messages to get people to send them Bitcoin. It was revealed that this breach happened because access to Twitter's "God mode" was gained through social engineering.
The average cost of a successful phishing attack on a <a href="https://smallbiztrends.com/2019/07/phishing-statistics.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">small business is over $50,000</a>. Nearly 1% of all e-mails sent are phishing attempts. As these attempts get more sophisticated, more and more of them break past spam filters, exposing your employees to scammers no matter how secure they make their passwords. Using a secure password manager like Team Password is just one way to reduce risk of a breach. Make sure to also inform your teams about social engineering so your information stays safer.
<h2>Are You Protecting your Passwords and your Team?</h2>
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<a href="https://www.teampassword.com/">TeamPassword</a>&nbsp;is here to protect and defend you from these types of cyber attacks. Our simple, secure password manager, designed from the ground up with security and best in-class encryption in mind can protect your company from data breaches and your passwords from hackers. For training and other cybersecurity needs, check out our partner <a href="https://strontium.io/" rel="follow">Strontium.io</a>.
Get TeamPassword today!&nbsp;<a href="https://app.teampassword.com/dashboard?utm_source=blog&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_campaign=bcms#signup/testimonial" rel="follow">Try our free 14-day trial.</a>
</div>
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Learn how hackers use social engineering rather than technical skill to get access to critical information.

One of the top tips for password creation is to make a complex password with a combination of ...

Your Passwords Are Only As Secure As Your Teams

One of the top tips for password creation is to make a complex password with a combination of letters, numbers, and symbols that would be difficult to guess. However, the most secure password doesn't stand a chance if anyone on your team falls prey to something called social engineering . ..

The state of password security is best illustrated by looking at the rise in credential stuffing attacks. By combining login software with proxy servers, hackers bombard targets with username and password combinations harvested from previous data breaches. The attacks are usually successful because people tend to re-use weak passwords between online services.
While most of these attacks focus on ecommerce and gaming websites, a similar technique known as password spraying is commonly used against smaller businesses. Hackers compile a list of usernames for a target system and test each one against a set of common passwords. Employees with weak passwords end up becoming a gateway for hackers to breach a network.
Let's take a look at how password managers can mitigate these risks and how to choose the right option for your business.
Weak passwords are at the center of many data breaches and the solution is simple &mdash; a password manager.
<h2 id="why-use-a-password-manager">Why Use a Password Manager?</h2>
Most employees are aware of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.jungledisk.com/blog/2019/03/11/how-to-manage-your-small-business-passwords/">password security best practices</a>, but most employees don't follow the rules. Of course, the problem is that creating a unique password for each service and remembering them is challenging &mdash; especially when the passwords need to be changed on a regular basis! But, it only takes one weak link to compromise an entire network.
Password managers are essentially a password book that's locked with a master key that only the employee knows. Instead of remembering 147 different passwords (the average number for a small business team), they only have to remember a single password. The password manager handles the rest by recalling passwords and even auto-filling them in browsers.
In addition to managing passwords, password managers can easily generate random 20-character passwords on demand. Even with a fast hashing algorithm like MD5, a genuine 20-character password would take an enormous amount of time to crack using brute force methods. Passwords can even be customized to meet unique password requirements for various web services.
Password managers aren't perfect. In fact, a recent audit found that several password managers exposed some passwords in a computer's memory when the apps were in "locked" mode, which could enable a hacker to access them. Despite these vulnerabilities, experts and ethical hackers agree that using a password manager is always a better bet.
<h2 id="comparing-password-managers">Comparing Password Managers</h2>
There are many different commercial and open source password managers out there. In addition, some operating systems have started to build password managers of their own. MacOS' password manager uses the laptop's password, fingerprint or facial recognition authentication methods to unlock web passwords that can be used with Safari's built-in support.
<img src="https://cdn.buttercms.com/pxarcM7iTHKVhO2WsEUq" alt="" width="610" height="227" />
<hr />
<a href="https://mailchi.mp/jungledisk.com/whats-the-best-small-business-password-manager" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Download our free Small Business Password Security Checklist to determine how secure your passwords are and come up with a strategy to improve them.</a>
<hr />
The most popular commercial password managers include:
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.dashlane.com/">DashLane</a>&nbsp;is one of the most popular password managers thanks to its support for Linux, ChromeOS and Microsoft Edge browsers, as well as its ability to bulk-change passwords.</li>
<li><a href="https://www.lastpass.com/">LastPass</a>&nbsp;is well-known for its feature-rich free version and extensive two-factor authentication options, while supporting a wide range of popular platforms.</li>
<li><a href="https://keepersecurity.com/">Keeper</a>&nbsp;has some of the best security when it comes to password generation and encrypted storage, as well as browser extensions and a web interface.</li>
<li><a href="https://1password.com/">1Password</a>&nbsp;provides some of the best categorization options to keep passwords organized, as well as strong form-filling capabilities that support many browsers.</li>
<li><a href="https://www.enpass.io/">Enpass</a>&nbsp;is a popular option for people looking for a free desktop option that keeps data off-line.</li>
</ul>
In addition to these paid options, there are many open source password managers available.&nbsp;<a href="https://keepass.info/">KeePass</a>&nbsp;is one of the most popular options that's licensed under the GPL. While it's not quite as user friendly as commercial password managers, it offers strong security that's backed by its open source nature that enables anyone to view the source code.
<h2 id="personal-vs-business-password-managers">Personal vs. Business Password Managers</h2>
Password managers are a great way to manage each employee's passwords, but they fall short when it comes to sharing passwords between employees. While it's possible to simply share a password and have each employee save it, the process breaks down when the password is changed and that change needs to persist across all of the employees that use it.
<hr />
<a href="https://mailchi.mp/jungledisk.com/whats-the-best-small-business-password-manager" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Don't forget to download our free Small Business Password Security Checklist to determine how secure your passwords are and come up with a strategy to improve them.</a>
<hr />
Many companies use password-protected spreadsheets to share passwords, or even worse,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.jungledisk.com/blog/2018/10/12/risks-storing-passwords-in-google-sheets/">Google Sheets</a>&nbsp;that are protected only by an obscure URL. If an attacker gains access, these spreadsheets can quickly turn into a massive data breach impacting every online service on the list. Therefore, these solutions should be avoided at all costs.
Jungle Disk's&nbsp;<a href="https://www.jungledisk.com/password-manager/">TeamPassword</a>&nbsp;enables team members to create, access and share passwords in a secure way with many of the same features as individual password managers.

<img src="https://cdn.buttercms.com/6EawHE1GTHGW1etJDoCG" alt="teampassword-groups.png" />
Some of the key features include:
<ul>
<li>Group management tools enable you to share logins and passwords with a subset of team members, external collaborators or the entire team. By using "least privilege", you can minimize the odds of a data breach.</li>
<li>Logging and reporting let you see which logins are being used, which ones aren't, and when your shared logins are being updated to quickly spot any abnormalities. You can also receive email notifications for any important actions.</li>
<li>Two-step authentication using Google Authenticator adds another layer of security. You can also generate backup codes to ensure that you're never locked out. And of course, all passwords are fully secured in a PCI/DSS compliant way.</li>
<li>A password generator enables you to quickly create secure, randomized passwords on the fly, while a browser plugin makes it easy to use the passwords with minimal effort.</li>
</ul>
<a href="https://www.jungledisk.com/password-manager/">Sign up for a free 14-day trial</a>&nbsp;(no credit card required) to see how TeamPassword can improve your team's credential management and minimize the odds of a data breach.
<h2 id="the-bottom-line">The Bottom Line</h2>
The dramatic rise in credential stuffing and password spraying attacks is a sign that password security is woefully inadequate. For every high-publicized data breach, there are countless other quiet data breaches impacting small businesses &mdash; and many businesses don't survive them. Password management is critical to maintaining cybersecurity.
Jungle Disk provides a comprehensive cybersecurity suite that's specifically designed for small businesses. For an affordable per employee per month price, you can access active network protection, encrypted cloud backup, password management and other critical cybersecurity infrastructure to keep your business safe without breaking the bank.
<a href="https://www.jungledisk.com/get-started/">Sign up today</a>&nbsp;or&nbsp;<a href="https://www.jungledisk.com/request-demo/">request a free demo</a>&nbsp;to learn more!

Most employees are aware of password security best practices, but it only takes one weak link to compromise an entire network.

The state of password security is best illustrated by looking at the rise in credential stuffing attacks. By ...

What’s the Best Small Business Password Manager?

The state of password security is best illustrated by looking at the rise in credential stuffing attacks. By combining login software with proxy servers, hackers bombard targets with username and password combinations harvested from previous data breaches. The attacks are usually successful because people tend to re-use weak passwords between online services.

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

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

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

What is password encryption and how much is enough?

What is password encryption and how does it work?

Over the last decade, the gig economy boom has allowed professionals worldwide to switch to freelancing and build a network of international clients.&nbsp;
According to Upwork, 1 in 3 US workers engaged in freelance work during 2020. Some of the most successful freelancers earn hundreds of thousands of dollars per year through platforms like Upwork, Freelancer, and Toptal.
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;
Does your company hire freelancers? How do you <a href="https://teampassword.com/blog/should-i-share-data-with-freelancers">share passwords with freelancers</a>? TeamPassword is an affordable password management solution for small businesses, startups, and agencies to share credentials securely with team members and freelancers. <a href="https://app.teampassword.com/dashboard#signup/testimonial">Sign up for a 14-day free trial</a> today.
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;
<h2>10 Successful Freelancers</h2>
Here are ten successful freelancers and what they do. These freelancers have earned their place as experts in their given field with excellent track records&mdash;many have worked with the biggest companies in the world!
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;
<h3>1. Scott Luscombe - Graphic Designer / Shopify Expert / Website Developer / Copywriter&nbsp; - Canada</h3>
Scott Luscombe is a freelance graphic designer, Shopify expert, website developer, and copywriter from Uxbridge, Canada. He holds a degree in Illustration from Sheridan College and a degree in Marketing from the University of Toronto.
Scott has been a freelancer for most of his professional career and has earned over $500k on Upwork. He has completed over 311 jobs and worked&nbsp;10,956 hours!&nbsp;
Scott's work includes graphic design and branding, illustration and icons, copywriting, website design and development, UX/UI, and printing and packaging. He also provides freelance coaching and consulting. Scott is a Top Rated Upwork Freelancer currently charging $99 per hour for various creative gigs.
Some of Scott's most notable work includes designs for Coca-Cola, the Canadian Cancer Society, Nickelodeon, and Wallet Ninja (to name a few).&nbsp;
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;
<h3>2. Kathy Edens - Marketing Consultant / Freelance Copywriter - United States</h3>
<a href="https://www.upwork.com/freelancers/~016177d19f0624c1a7?viewMode=1">Kathy Edens is a Top Rated Upwork Freelancer</a> with over $300k platform earnings! Kathy has been self-employed as a marketing consultant and freelance copywriter for almost ten years from her home in Ohio, United States.
She holds a Bachelor of Science in Professional Writing and Psychology from Oregon State University, which she says "...helps me understand how to reach your target audience with words."&nbsp;
Kathy has ghost-written several non-fiction books on various topics, including social entrepreneurship, healthcare, real estate investing, and the cannabis industry, to name a few.
Kathy also writes web content, sales pages, email marketing content, case studies, white papers, brochures, press releases, and more. Kathy's rates start at $86 per hour for her writing and marketing services.
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;
<h3>3. Koen van Oeveren - UX designer - Netherlands</h3>
Koen van Oeveren is a freelance UI &amp; UX designer from North Brabant, Netherlands, with almost ten years of experience. Koen works with several design agencies in the Netherlands, designing apps, websites, and eCommerce experiences for many international brands.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;
Koen holds a Bachelor of Applied Science in Communication and Multimedia Design from Avans University in the Netherlands. Koen's <a href="https://www.koenvo.com/index.html">portfolio website Koenvo</a> was nominated for a <a href="https://www.awwwards.com/sites/koenvo-ui-ux-portfolio">2021 awwwards. Award</a>.
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;
<h3>4. Pascal Strasche - Product / UX designer - Germany</h3>
Pascal Strasche is a product and UX designer with more than ten years of design experience from Germany. He holds a Master of Arts in Interaction Design and a Bachelor of Arts in Graphic Design, both from HAWK University of Applied Sciences and Arts.
For almost a year over 2020/2021, Pascal worked as the sole product designer to design Con Cubo's SaaS tool that helps complex organizations visualize and manage teams. He's also worked with German steel giant XOM Materials to find product solutions to digitalize&nbsp;Germany's steel industry.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;
In 2019, Pascal founded Product Design Resources, a growing archive of 800+ design resources, weekly updated for the design community.
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;
<h3>5. Paul Hunkin - Developer - New Zealand</h3>
Paul Hunkin is a freelance software consultant and developer from Tauranga, New Zealand, but currently living in Portugal.&nbsp;
Paul has over ten years of experience as a software developer with an impressive work history, including Google, NASA, InfoSys, and the Chinese aerospace industry leader COMAC.
He's worked with several early-stage startups designing everything from high-performance big-data systems to complex web applications to 3D rendering engines. He's also built a lot of the foundational code for independent games on Android.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;
Paul is a Top Rated Upwork Freelancer with over $400k in platform earnings. His rates start at $120 per hour for software development. <a href="https://paulh.consulting/">Check out Paul's website</a> for more about his impressive portfolio and work history.
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;
<h3>6. Jana Galat - Writer / Brand Strategist - Canada</h3>
Jana Galat is a freelance copywriter and brand strategist from Ontario, Canada. She holds a Bachelor's Degree in Management and Organizational Studies from King's University College and an Honors in Business Administration from Western University.
Jana has extensive experience writing landing pages, email campaigns, social media ads, and print materials and says, "I am obsessed with creating copy that sells..."
After several years of professional work experience, Jana went freelance in 2019 and has quickly built a reputation as a <a href="https://www.upwork.com/freelancers/~01bfa17a48301876dd">Top Rated Upwork Freelancer</a> with over $70k in platform earnings. Jana's rates start at $100 per hour for copywriting and brand consulting.
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;
<h3>7. Kate H. - Logo Designer / Branding Expert - United States</h3>
Kate is a freelance professional logo designer and branding expert from Maryland, United States. Kate&nbsp;ran her own green wedding brand which she sold to mywedding.com in 2014, allowing her to focus on helping small&nbsp;businesses figure out what they want (and who they are) and translate that into design.
She holds a Master's degree in Environmental Management from Yale School of The Environment, and a J.D. in environmental law from Pace Law School.&nbsp;
Kate's skillset includes redesigning and updating material to make it easier to understand, building a consistent brand from a simple starting point like a logo, and creating unique logos that guarantee results.
Kate is a Top Rated Upwork Freelancer, and her rates start at $225 per hour. You can find out more about Kate on her <a href="https://www.upwork.com/freelancers/~013ce73876c1c18126" rel="follow noopener" target="_blank">Upwork profile</a>.
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;
<h3>8. Marcos Rezende - UX designer - Canada</h3>
Marcos Rezende is a UX Designer from Ontario, Canada, with more than 13 years of experience. Marcos has worked in over 30 industry sectors for multinational organizations in the United States, Canada, Germany, and Brazil.&nbsp;
Some of Marcos' notable projects include apps for Ontario's COVID-19 dashboard, Urban Master Planning collaboration platform, and Reaction (kid's e-learning app), to name a few.&nbsp;
Marcos loves sharing his industry expertise with aspiring UX designers and regularly writes for the popular UX publication Career Foundry. Total recognizes Marcos as part of its "Top 3%" of global freelancer talent&mdash;a title given to elite freelancers in their given field.
We don't have access to Marcos' rates, but the best UX designers on Upwork earn upwards of $100 per hour. As a Toptal Top 3% freelancer, Marcos likely charges $200-$300 per hour.
<a href="https://www.marcosrezende.com/">Marcos Rezende's website</a> was nominated for the prestigious <a href="https://www.awwwards.com/sites/ux-portfolio-marcos-rezende">awwwards.</a> in 2021.
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;
<h3>9. Tanya Litvinova - UX/UI Designer - United States</h3>
Tanya Litvinova is a freelance UX/UI designer from New York City, United States. She holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Advertising Design / Communication Design from the Fashion Institute of Technology.
Tanya specializes in product, mobile, and web design as well as user experience flow, research, and validation.
"I have a passion to make the complex simple, shape behavior, design, plan, and strategize. Aiming for the best user experience, all the while balancing the needs of business and technology to create engaging, habit-forming digital products."
Tanya has worked with Fortune 100 &amp; Fortune 500 companies and successfully delivered business-transforming data-driven analytics, responsive BI dashboards, enterprise web apps, and management systems. Some of Tanya's notable clients include KOCH Industries, BlackRock Financial, BCG Group, and FireEye, to name a few.
<a href="https://www.upwork.com/freelancers/~0165035041b26e96df">Tanya is a Top Rated Upwork Freelancer</a> with more than $200k platform earnings. Her current rate starts at $162.50 per hour.
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<h3>10. Guangming Lang - Data Scientist - United States</h3>
Guangming Lang is a freelance data scientist from Michigan, United States. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Mathematics from New College of Florida and a Master of Science in Biostatistics from the University of Michigan. Guangming has also completed several Coursera courses in data science and machine learning.
Guangming has been a freelancer since 2013 and has worked across several industries, including fintech, trading, medicine, biotech, advertising, and HR.&nbsp;
Guangming is a Top Rated Upwork Freelancer with over $400k in platform earnings. He's completed 216 jobs on Upwork totaling 3,805 hours! Guangming's current rates start at $200 per hour.
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<h2>Secure Freelancer Workflows With TeamPassword</h2>
No matter how talented or reputable the freelancers and contractors you hire, your company must use secure workflows to protect your digital assets.
Freelancers often need access to shared accounts and tools. Using a <a href="https://app.teampassword.com/dashboard#signup/testimonial">password manager</a> is the first step to securing these accounts and platforms. You can also use a password manager to share credentials with employees, clients, and other stakeholders to ensure you never expose raw passwords via email, spreadsheets, chat apps, and other non-secure methods.
<a href="https://app.teampassword.com/dashboard#signup/testimonial">TeamPassword</a> lets you create groups to share access with only those who need it. When they're done, revoke access with a single click. No need to change passwords every time someone leaves the team.
If you do need to change a password, TeamPassword's built-in <a href="https://teampassword.com/password-generator">password generator</a> lets you create secure passwords between 12-32 characters using numbers, letters (uppercase/lowercase), and symbols.
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Ready to onboard clients and freelancers securely with TeamPassword's robust <a href="https://app.teampassword.com/dashboard#signup/testimonial">password management solution</a>? <a href="https://app.teampassword.com/dashboard#signup/testimonial">Sign up for a free trial</a> to secure your company's digital assets today!

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

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

10 extremely successful freelancers and what they do

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

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

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