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>
&rlm;&rlm;&lrm; &lrm;
<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>
&rlm;&rlm;&lrm; &lrm;
<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?

Local SEO and traditional SEO rankings are affected by different factors. Traditional SEO shows users the most valuable, relevant content based on their keyword search. Local SEO is informed by the above but adds location to the mix in order to get the user more personalized results.&nbsp;
When queried for local results, Google only targets and displays results for businesses within a specified proximity. That&rsquo;s why when you&rsquo;re ordering pizza late on a Tuesday because you forgot to pick up groceries, Google shows you pizza delivery places nearby, not pizza joints in Bhutan. Often, digital marketing agencies primarily cater to companies in their province but most don&rsquo;t necessarily exclude other clients.
Local SEO improves your search engine visibility to customers near your location. And it uses specific metrics to influence your local SEO website rankings.&nbsp;
A digital marketing Local SEO specialist is chiefly concerned with three categories relating to Google&rsquo;s requirements:
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Distance&nbsp;</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Relevance</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Prominence</li>
</ul>
These three pointers form the basis of robust local SEO marketing services.&nbsp;
<h1>How to improve your local SEO ranking</h1>
As location-based searches increase yearly so does the competition. The <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/theyec/2019/11/04/what-you-need-to-know-about-the-latest-local-seo-trends/">trends keep changing</a>, but businesses can reap the benefits by improving their online presence through each of the following factors.
<h2>Create Evergreen Content</h2>
Without content online, you have nothing to optimize and nothing for search engines to rank well (or poorly). Creating timeless content relevant to your local community is the foundation for boosting your rankings.&nbsp;
If you maintain a website of the best restaurants, hikes, and sites in your local city of Memphis, and the content is lucid, actionable, and regularly updated (no one likes driving to a restaurant only to find it&rsquo;s closed!), the locals may bookmark it and check it regularly. This is fantastic for your local SEO.&nbsp;
Let&rsquo;s say you&rsquo;re a bank, real estate agency, or grocery store. Consider covering events and local news in your articles to show that you&rsquo;re up-to-date on your community, and use location-specific keywords in your copy to build authority and target the appropriate audience.&nbsp;
On average, evergreen content accounts for over 92% of leads in top organizations like HubSpot.
<h2>Earn Quality Backlinks</h2>
A large number of backlinks from reputable sources indicates to Google&rsquo;s search engine that your content is high quality and r
elevant to the topic you purport to be an authority on.
90.63% of websites do not get traffic on Google because <a href="https://ahrefs.com/blog/search-traffic-study/">they do not have backlinks</a>.&nbsp;
Websites that rank high on SERPs (search engine results pages) typically have a large number of backlinks from other domains with high authority. Evergreen content is key to getting these backlinks.
Let&rsquo;s use our example of a local activity guide website. If you regularly update your website with valuable content about Boston, then a more trafficked, well-established website about traveling in Massachusetts will feel comfortable pointing its readers to you as a resource. When authoritative sources link to your website (and thus affirm its value), Google uses this information to improve your rank on SERPs.&nbsp;
<h2>Take Control of Your Google Business Profile (GBP)</h2>
Google Business Profile is a tool that allows you to list business details online, such as opening hours, contacts, photos, and business locations.&nbsp;
Your GBP is one of the items Google shows in response to a local search query. The contents of your GBP are instrumental in deciding the final positioning of your business in search results. When rank-ordering companies, search engine algorithms prioritize contact information, proximity to a user, evergreen content, and services.&nbsp;
Building a GBP profile is essential, as it helps locals see important information about your business before visiting your site. Web design companies will often leverage the information provided by your GBP to create a website. And don&rsquo;t forget to add a photo; profiles with photos receive 35% more clicks than those without.
A GBP is free and relatively easy to create; you or a content marketing specialist can set it up.&nbsp;
<h2>Get Mentioned in Citations</h2>
Citations are different from backlinks, and Google can tell them apart. A citation is when your website is mentioned on another website. When Google sees your website listed in directories such as Yelp, Facebook, or your local chamber of commerce, it recognizes it as legitimate - providing the details match.&nbsp;
Add your business page to as many local directories as possible. There are many popular directories, but you should research those related to your industry. There are directories for real estate, health insurance, mechanics, etc. Local SEO specialists can help ensure you don&rsquo;t list on the same directory twice. So if you&rsquo;re in Milwaukee, you may choose a <a href="https://corberry.com/digital-marketing-milwaukee/">digital marketing agency in Milwaukee</a>. Businesses in the top 10 on Google typically have over 50 <a href="https://www.goup.co.uk/local-seo/learn/how-important-are-citations/">citations</a>.&nbsp;
<h2>Personalize Your Content</h2>
Even though we may not fully understand how search engines&rsquo; algorithms operate, one foundational aspect is the bias toward personalization. The algorithm wants to show results based on what it has learned about the customer&rsquo;s preferences and interests.
Write content for the people for whom your business exists. Don&rsquo;t try to trick the algorithm into ranking you higher. In the long run, proving you know your customer and can provide value will get you shown to the right people.&nbsp;
On average, 4 out of 5 <a href="https://www.freshrelevance.com/blog/website-personalization-statistics">companies that personalize</a> see an uplift in their content.&nbsp;
<h2>Monitor and Collect Reviews</h2>
Google considers reviews from customers when ranking websites. True, some customers may troll you or leave unreasonable comments, but for better or worse, a search engine takes them into consideration.&nbsp;
Positive reviews help build your business&rsquo;s online credibility. Google knows that customers would rather take a chance on companies that have glowing reviews from fellow users. Some of the signals used by ranking metrics are quality of reviews, total number, diversity, and frequency of new reviews.&nbsp;
A successful local SEO strategy will leverage the many reputable online review platforms. Check your business on sites like Google Maps, Trip Advisor, Yelp, and Glassdoor to get insight into what the internet thinks of you.&nbsp;
If you don&rsquo;t appear anywhere, it&rsquo;s time to ask your top customers to give you a review!
<h2>Improve the User Experience</h2>
How users <a href="https://teampassword.com/blog/improve-your-companys-digital-marketing-with-these-awesome-techniques">interact with your website</a> also affects your rankings. Most search algorithms depend on the entire user experience to decide if your website is worth listing on a search result. Knowing user behavioral patterns will help you improve their experience and your local SEO ranking.&nbsp;
Some of the primary signs an algorithm looks out for include:
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Directions to your business site</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Click-through rate</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Mobile clicks to call</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Bounce rate</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Check-ins from social media sites</li>
</ul>

This is where a well-optimized website becomes necessary. Most web designers build sites that are optimized for mobile use. Since over half of all web traffic happens on phones, you need your website to be a seamless experience.
<h2>Understand Localized Organic Ranking vs. Local Pack</h2>
There are two distinct parts involved in local SEO.&nbsp;
When a customer searches for a gas station, pizza store, or restaurant &ldquo;near me,&rdquo; Google will display two kinds of results; organic and local pack searches. You&rsquo;ll find other types of results too.
Local pack results consist of listings displayed in a map format. It also shows information, review ratings, and where it is precisely located. Organic listings are the regular blue link results on a Google page. The local pack is displayed at the top before organic rankings.
&nbsp;&nbsp;
Localized Organic Ranking Factors:
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Reviews (6%)</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Behavioral (10%)</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">GBP (7%)</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Citations (6%)</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Links (31%)</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Personalization (7%)</li>
</ul>
Local Pack ranking:
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">GBP (33%)</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">On-page (15%)</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Behavioral (8%)</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Personalization (6%)</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Links (15%)</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">On-page (15%)</li>
</ul>
Improving the above factors may not give your business an immediate boost. Backlinks, for instance, are a long-term strategy and take time to cultivate. However, a Google Business Profile does not take much time to set up and provides significant value to local businesses.
<h2>Conclusion&nbsp;</h2>
Local SEO rankings have become the holy grail for small businesses. You may not have the power to compete with large companies for international recognition, but your local terrain can become your stronghold.
Consider the above factors when building your online presence, and focus on those that are likely to have the most impact given your situation and industry.&nbsp;
Many business owners are not aware of the long-term impact of evergreen content on their ranking. Building credibility online using local SEO takes time. Eventually, you may need to implement all the factors listed here if you wish to be on the first page of Google. Don&rsquo;t have the time or energy to improve your local SEO? It is possible to get help from digital marketing agencies that specialize in content creation or from <a href="https://contentmarketing.io/">content marketing agencies </a>that specialize in marketing content.
Local SEO can be tedious and overwhelming in the beginning, but the payoff is worth it.&nbsp;

Local SEO and traditional SEO rankings are affected by different factors. Traditional SEO shows users the most valuable, relevant content ba

Local SEO and traditional SEO rankings are affected by different factors. Traditional SEO shows users the most valuable, ...

How to Optimize Local SEO for Your Business

Local SEO and traditional SEO rankings are affected by different factors. Traditional SEO shows users the most valuable, relevant content based on their keyword search. Local SEO is informed by the above but adds location to the mix to get the user more personalized results.

Reports of cybersecurity threats to small businesses continue to rise, but many companies aren&rsquo;t feeling the urgency.
<h2>The Stats</h2>
Hackers compromised 30 million Facebook accounts in 2018. Roughly 70% of internet users use the same password on multiple accounts. Spot the problem?

Are you confident your employees are not using the same password for Instagram as they are for their Hootsuite or company dashboard logins?&nbsp;

The <a href="https://blog.talosintelligence.com/2022/08/recent-cyber-attack.html">most recent Cisco breach</a> was made possible by an employee saving work passwords in their browser; not as heinous a security crime as reusing passwords, but unsafe enough that the attacker was able to use the password stolen from the employee&rsquo;s browser, phish MFA authentication, and get into Cisco&rsquo;s systems all the same.

So what&rsquo;s the point of all these stats and scare stories?&nbsp;

If you&rsquo;re not providing employees with a password management solution and educating them on how to use it, your business will eventually fall victim, through one avenue or another, to a cyberattack.&nbsp;

And according to the latest data, that will cost your business anywhere from <a href="https://terranovasecurity.com/data-breaches-prove-costly-for-small-businesses/">38k</a> to over <a href="https://www.ibm.com/security/data-breach">$4.35 million</a>.&nbsp;
&nbsp;
Here are a few more stats to arouse your caution:
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Ransomware attacks happen every 14 seconds.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">43% of cyber attacks are targeted at small businesses, while 60% of those that are targeted go out of business within 6 months.&nbsp;</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">65% of large companies have over 500 employees that have never changed their passwords.&nbsp;</li>
</ul>

<h2>The Solution</h2>
If you aren&rsquo;t using a password manager, get one. If you are, use its features.

Set a schedule for updating your passwords. Many breaches happen months after the data is stolen. By updating your passwords, you may be foiling all the attacker&rsquo;s hard work.&nbsp;

The cost of security breaches often results from businesses not having a Cyber Security Incident Response Plan. While it takes time and thought to set up, it will save you thousands or millions in the event of an attack.

Phishing emails are the primary form of cyberattack. Teach your employees to spot spoofed URLs and spam emails.&nbsp;
<h2>TeamPassword is Designed for Security</h2>
We know it&rsquo;s tempting to simplify your password life by relying on your browser&rsquo;s offer to save every password you enter or reuse some tried-and-true passwords, but the data is clear that there will eventually be consequences for these tactics.&nbsp;

TeamPassword&rsquo;s browser extension provides seamless access to your websites and logins, so you have no excuse for unsafe password habits. Just pin the extension in your browser, and your logins are a couple of clicks away.&nbsp;
<img src="https://cdn.buttercms.com/P2O02i1SxKcX7mlXr2gJ" alt="undefined" width="627" height="437" />
TeamPassword also tracks the last time a password was changed and includes a built-in password generator so that you have the appropriate tool at hand to take action. You can also test your passwords with our <a href="https://teampassword.com/password-generator">free password generator</a>.
&nbsp;<img src="https://cdn.buttercms.com/u6O8K1UDT0KRySKM8wwN" alt="undefined" width="433" height="287" />
<img src="https://cdn.buttercms.com/N1ZN2993RDuMHsFTHNEw" alt="undefined" />
 Password management can feel overwhelming. We built TeamPassword to make it a bit simpler. Give us a try for <a href="https://app.teampassword.com/dashboard#signup/testimonial">free for 14 days</a>.

Reports of cybersecurity threats to small businesses continue to rise, but many companies aren’t feeling the urgency. Hackers compromised...

Reports of cybersecurity threats to small businesses continue to rise, but many companies aren’t feeling the urgency. The ...

The Importance of Responsible Password Management

Reports of cybersecurity threats to small businesses continue to rise, but many companies aren’t feeling the urgency. The Stats Hackers compromised 30 million Facebook accounts in 2018. Roughly 70% of internet users use the same password on multiple accounts. Spot the problem? Are you confident your employees are not using ...

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

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

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

Password Best Practices: What Makes a Strong Password?

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

Operating a business in today&rsquo;s market means managing dozens of online accounts and (for our typical customer) over 100 passwords.&nbsp;
<a href="https://teampassword.com/blog/5-habits-that-put-your-accounts-at-risk" style="color: #40d8e3;">Poor password management</a> costs your business time, money, and countless headaches. Every business should have a password vault that makes it easy to collaborate and share online accounts.&nbsp;
Here&rsquo;s why.&nbsp;

<h2>Increase Productivity</h2>
Studies showed that <a href="https://www.digitalinformationworld.com/2019/12/new-password-study-finds-78-of-people-had-to-reset-a-password-they-forgot-in-past-90-days.html" style="color: #40d8e3;">57% of users</a> needed to reset work passwords in the last 90 days, and employees spend <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/business/up-to-11-hours-spent-every-year-resetting-passwords-1.819620#:~:text=We%20spend%20on%20average%2012%20minutes%20every%20week%20entering%20or%20renewing%20passwords&amp;text=Almost%2011%20hours%20are%20lost,new%20report%20published%20on%20Tuesday." style="color: #40d8e3; text-decoration: underline;">over 10 hours a year resetting</a> and trying to remember passwords. This, combined with the <a href="https://www.cyclonis.com/report-83-percent-users-surveyed-use-same-password-multiple-sites/" style="color: #40d8e3;">terrible security habits people adopt</a> when left to their own devices, exacts a damaging cost on your business across time.&nbsp;
Don&rsquo;t waste your team&rsquo;s time and expertise on password management when they can have the accounts they need at their fingertips.&nbsp;
<a href="https://help.teampassword.com/en/articles/6143477-sharing-records" style="color: #40d8e3;">Sharing passwords is easy</a> when the tool is designed for the job.&nbsp;

<h2>Avoid Duplicate Accounts</h2>
Duplicate accounts lead to disorganization, confusion, and lost productivity.
TeamPassword lets your employees see which services your company has signed up for so that Jenna from HR doesn't accidentally create a Hootsuite account when Joe from Marketing already made one.&nbsp;
Having multiple accounts for the same service is a nightmare.&nbsp;
It can be difficult to shut down twin accounts, and companies end up paying duplicate subscription fees for months or years.&nbsp;

<h2>Faster Onboarding</h2>
No one wants to spend their first day figuring out how to log onto the accounts they need to do their job. A password manager for teams makes it easy to integrate new employees.
Just <a href="https://help.teampassword.com/en/articles/5722465-how-to-invite-a-new-user" style="color: #40d8e3;">add the new employee</a> to your TeamPassword account, then <a href="https://help.teampassword.com/en/articles/5530821-how-to-create-a-group" style="color: #40d8e3;">grant them access</a> to the appropriate groups.
Our password manager clearly shows new employees what accounts you have. If they&rsquo;re unfamiliar with one of the tools they&rsquo;ll be using to do their job, they can ask you about it sooner rather than later and hit the ground running.

<h2>Ease the Breakup</h2>
A password manager makes it <a href="https://help.teampassword.com/en/articles/6143642-how-to-change-a-user-s-role" style="color: #40d8e3;">frictionless to revoke access</a> when an employee leaves your company.&nbsp;
It might also be a good time to go through and refresh your passwords - easily done with our built-in <a href="https://teampassword.com/password-generator" style="color: #40d8e3;">password generator</a>. You can also see the last time a password was updated right there in the login.&nbsp;
Grant access to your accounts on a need-to-know basis. It takes one moment of vindictiveness for a spurned employee with Twitter access to tarnish your company's reputation.&nbsp;
Cybersecurity is getting more complicated every year. It&rsquo;s tempting to look the other way and do what you&rsquo;ve always done, but with the <a href="https://www.upguard.com/blog/cost-of-data-breach" style="color: #40d8e3;">cost of data breaches</a> rising further, there&rsquo;s no reason to put the livelihood of you and your employees at risk.

Use a password manager. It doesn&rsquo;t have to be ours - be realistic about your use case. We designed TeamPassword to be the most straightforward, easy-to-use tool on the market. If that grabs your interest, <a href="https://app.teampassword.com/dashboard#signup/testimonial" style="color: #40d8e3;">give us a try for free for 14 days</a> (no credit card required).&nbsp;

Operating a business in today’s market means managing dozens of online accounts and over 100s of passwords. Poor password management costs y

Operating a business in today’s market means managing dozens of online accounts and over 100s of passwords. Poor ...

Why All Businesses Should use a Password Manager

Operating a business in today’s market means managing dozens of online accounts and over 100s of passwords. Poor password management costs your business time, money, and countless headaches. Every business should have a password vault that makes it easy to collaborate and share online accounts.

Bad habits can cost you serious time and money when managing your passwords.
We all know the hassle of forgetting a password and having to reset it, but that's nothing compared to what you'll go through if your accounts are compromised because you managed your passwords poorly.
It's the age-old story of a company that uses the same password for everything, then one unimportant site gets hacked, and the attacker gains access to all of their accounts.
Luckily, building good password habits is easy with the right strategies and tools. Read on to learn about lazy password management habits and how you can fix them.
<h2>1. Don&rsquo;t use the same password everywhere</h2>
It's only a matter of time before one of the websites or apps you use gets hacked or has a security lapse. See <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/aug/31/dropbox-hack-passwords-68m-data-breach">Dropbox</a>, <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-24740873">Adobe</a>, and the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heartbleed">Heartbleed bug</a> that affected several websites.&nbsp;
Once a hacker gets one of your passwords, it's easy for them to try that password on countless other websites. For example, if you use the same password for Instagram as for online banking, a lapse in Instagram's security can result in an empty bank account.&nbsp;
Using the same password is one of the riskiest things you can do online; it's asking for trouble.
<h3>Fix it</h3>
Stop using the same password! Instead, use a password management service (like <a href="https://www.teampassword.com/">TeamPassword.com</a>) to randomly generate and store your passwords so that you have unique passwords for different services without needing to remember them all.
<h2>2. Don&rsquo;t keep the same password for an eternity</h2>
Passwords, like the oil in your car, should be changed regularly. Many breaches happen during the weeks and months before an attacker acts on the data they've captured. If you update your password, it's tough luck for the hacker.&nbsp;
Don't make it easy for hackers and malicious users. Change your password on a regular basis.
<h3>Fix it</h3>
Set up a system that reminds you how old your passwords are. <a href="https://app.teampassword.com/dashboard#signup/testimonial">TeamPassword</a> shows the last time you updated the password every time you use the account--shaming you every time you see "Last Updated: 5 years ago."
<h2>3. Don&rsquo;t rely on your browser</h2>
Storing passwords in your browser is quick and easy, but doing so <a href="https://teampassword.com/blog/how-to-save-passwords-in-chrome-and-alternatives">opens a can of worms for your personal and business security</a>.
Browsers now allow you <a href="https://blog.malwarebytes.com/privacy-2/2021/02/browser-sync-what-are-the-risks-of-turning-it-on/">to sync</a> your passwords, bookmarks, and more so that you can sign in from any device and access your data.&nbsp;
Awesome, right?&nbsp;
Except that if you lose your laptop or phone or forget to sign out on a public computer, your data will continue to sync between devices until you remember to sign them out manually and update your passwords.&nbsp;
In the meantime, you&rsquo;re an easy target.
We've all seen those "Brian left his Facebook open!" posts made by someone's friend (and that's the polite version). Imagine the kind of mischief--or trouble--someone could get into with access to your bank account or company Workspace.&nbsp;
What if you store passwords in your browser but don&rsquo;t sync? You may think you won&rsquo;t need them while traveling in Morocco--until you realize you forgot to schedule your car loan payment or you get a text message about suspicious activity on that credit card you hardly use.
<h3>Fix it</h3>
Use a logic management service that requires authentication to access your passwords so that you can access them everywhere (and so that your friend Jessica can't be a jerk on your social media or bank account when she borrows your computer).&nbsp;
<a href="https://app.teampassword.com/dashboard#signup/testimonial">TeamPassword</a> offers a mobile app and 2FA so that you can access your passwords securely on the go.&nbsp;
<h2>4. Don&rsquo;t share your passwords liberally</h2>
We all need to share passwords from time to time, whether you're giving the WiFi password to a guest or collaborating to update a Twitter account for a business.&nbsp;
The problem is sharing too many passwords. Bad habits often come in clusters, so you may use that same password on other services, exposing you to severe risks. Think of passwords like they're the keys to your house. You're not going to give that up to just anybody.&nbsp;
Furthermore, you will likely forget who you shared your passwords with. It might not seem like a big problem now, but let's be honest, do you want your crazy ex (or vindictive former employee) to have access to any of your online accounts?
<h3>Fix it</h3>
Use a team <a href="https://app.teampassword.com/dashboard#signup/testimonial">password manager</a> that helps you share passwords and shows you who has access. That way, adding or removing password access as needed is easy. Plus, you'll quickly know which passwords you need to change if you've parted ways with someone.
<h2>5. Don&rsquo;t share your passwords via email</h2>
Email is an inherently insecure means of communication. You don't need to be <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sony_Pictures_hack">Sony to be a target of an email hack</a>. Never use email to send sensitive information. Plus, who wants to comb through old emails to find a password?
<h3>Fix it</h3>
Use a password storage service with strong security practices to share that sensitive information. <a href="https://app.teampassword.com/dashboard#signup/testimonial">TeamPassword</a> offers unlimited groups, so passwords are securely shared with only those teammates who need them.&nbsp;
<h2>Bottom Line</h2>
If you have any of these bad habits, you must stop doing them now, before one of the apps you use gets hacked. Malicious hackers can steal your money, time, and even identity if you have risky password practices.
We started TeamPassword to help teams avoid these bad password habits and the losses that come with poor password management. Try it out with our free <a href="https://app.teampassword.com/dashboard#signup/testimonial">14-day trial</a>.

Resetting a password is annoying. Losing access to an account because of poor password security is devastating. Break these 5 bad habits now.

Resetting a password is annoying. A compromised account because of poor password security is devastating. Break these 5 ...

5 Password Habits that Put Your Accounts at Risk

Resetting a password is annoying. A compromised account because of poor password security is devastating. Break these 5 bad habits now.

5 Habits that Put Your Accounts at Risk

Cloud computing has seen rapid adoption since 2020, with more people working remotely than ever before. One interesting study highlighted that <a href="https://www.snowsoftware.com/blog/how-new-normal-changing-cloud-usage-and-strategy">80% of IT leaders</a> had increased their overall cloud usage. However, while this technology has undoubtedly changed the way organizations operate for the greater good, this has come at a cost, with IT teams having far less control and access.

One issue many businesses are struggling with is weak passwords, and while most companies acknowledge that this is a security risk, only <a href="https://www.insightsforprofessionals.com/it/cloud/state-of-cloud-security-infographic">35% of companies</a> are concerned about the accidental exposure of credentials.

So, why should you pay close attention to password hygiene? Here are some reasons:

<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">&ldquo;123456&rdquo; and &ldquo;qwerty&rdquo; are still some of the most commonly used passwords worldwide and can be cracked in less than a second (<a href="https://cybernews.com/best-password-managers/most-common-passwords/">Cybernews</a>)</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Around 31% of users update their passwords at least 1 &ndash; 2 times a year, while only 18.5% change theirs even if they&rsquo;re notified of any security issues (<a href="https://digitalguardian.com/blog/uncovering-password-habits-are-users-password-security-habits-improving-infographic">Digital Guardian</a>)</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Three-quarters of Americans struggle to keep track of their credentials (<a href="https://storage.googleapis.com/gweb-uniblog-publish-prod/documents/PasswordCheckup-HarrisPoll-InfographicFINAL.pdf">Google</a>)</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">The FBI highlighted that $4.2 billion was lost in 2020 due to cybercrime, increasing the five-year total to $13.3 billion (<a href="https://www.ic3.gov/Media/PDF/AnnualReport/2020_IC3Report.pdf">The IC3</a>)</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">61% of breaches involved credential data (<a href="https://www.verizon.com/business/resources/reports/2021-data-breach-investigations-report.pdfx">Verizon</a>)</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">55% of IT security practitioners don&rsquo;t utilize 2FA in the workplace (<a href="https://dataprot.net/statistics/password-statistics/">Dataprot</a>)&nbsp;</li>
</ul>

<h2>How do cybercriminals steal passwords?</h2>

Hackers are more motivated than ever and will do whatever it takes to get their hands on your money. <a href="https://www.verizon.com/business/resources/reports/2021-data-breach-investigations-report.pdfx">Verizon&rsquo;s 2021 Data Breach Investigations Report</a> shows that SMBs with less than 1,000 employees recorded 1,037 incidents and 93% of such breaches were financially motivated.&nbsp;

So, <a href="https://teampassword.com/blog/five-most-common-password-attacks">what techniques do cybercriminals use</a> to compromise users&rsquo; passwords?&nbsp;

<h3>Social engineering</h3>
This involves threat actors preying on vulnerable employees and psychologically manipulating them into sharing confidential data. One of the most popular social engineering methods used by hackers is phishing.&nbsp;


<h3>Brute force attacks</h3>
From a hacker&rsquo;s perspective, brute force attacks are easy to launch and don&rsquo;t require a lot of effort. Criminals typically use trial and error tactics to decipher passwords or PINs through automated tools that test a large number of password combinations. These tools can crack weak passwords in a matter of minutes.


<h3>Dictionary attacks</h3>
Dictionary attacks &ndash; a type of brute force tactic &ndash; involve inputting commonly used words or phrases as a password, but they aren&rsquo;t strictly limited to a wordlist. Instead, they can also include names of people you know or a sports team you support. These are based on information easily found online through online profiles

However, this method isn&rsquo;t as successful against passwords containing numbers, symbols, and a mixture of lowercase and uppercase letters.&nbsp;


<h3>Credential stuffing attacks</h3>
Bad actors typically purchase lists of leaked usernames and passwords and feed these into a botnet, which attempts several logins across multiple websites in one attempt.&nbsp;

With more than <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/daveywinder/2020/07/08/new-dark-web-audit-reveals-15-billion-stolen-logins-from-100000-breaches-passwords-hackers-cybercrime/">15 billion login credentials from 100,000 breaches</a> circulating on the dark web, it&rsquo;s not surprising that credential stuffing attacks have grown in popularity among cybercriminals. <a href="https://www.helpnetsecurity.com/2021/05/20/financial-services-credential-stuffing/">Research from Help Net Security</a> detected some 193 billion credential stuffing attacks worldwide in 2020, with the financial services industry, in particular, suffering the most and reporting around 3.4 billion incidents &ndash; an increase of 45% YoY in the sector.
<a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=Secty%2B+course&amp;rlz=1C5CHFA_enGB975GB976&amp;ei=NGy0YpeFGNLqgQbx_afIBg&amp;ved=0ahUKEwiX78nA2MP4AhVSdcAKHfH-CWkQ4dUDCA4&amp;uact=5&amp;oq=Secty%2B+course&amp;gs_lcp=Cgdnd3Mtd2l6EAMyBAgAEA0yBAgAEA0yBAgAEA0yBAgAEA0yBAgAEA0yBAgAEA0yBAgAEA0yBggAEB4QDTIGCAAQHhANMgYIABAeEA06BwgAEEcQsAM6BggAEB4QFjoJCAAQHhDJAxAWOgUIABCSA0oECEEYAEoECEYYAFClCFjPC2DXDGgCcAF4AIAB3wGIAaIGkgEFMS4yLjKYAQCgAQHIAQjAAQE&amp;sclient=gws-wiz" rel="follow"><img src="https://cdn.buttercms.com/daJiCLeTOe3gnOFxJXPw" alt="undefined" width="560" height="400" style="font-family: sans-serif;" /></a>
Image Credit: <a href="http://&lt;a href=&quot;https//www.freepik.com/vectors/safe-internet&quot;&gt;Safe internet vector created by jcomp - www.freepik.com&lt;/a&gt;" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">freepik.com</a>
<h2>How to enforce strong password hygiene</h2>
To protect your accounts and organization against cyberattacks, you and your employees need to practice good password hygiene. Consider adopting these tips below:&nbsp;

<h3>1. Encourage employees not to reuse passwords&nbsp;</h3>
In 2019, <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/daveywinder/2019/12/06/microsoft-finds-password-security-problem-affecting-44-million-users/">Microsoft&rsquo;s threat research team</a> analyzed a database that contained 3 billion breached login credentials and identified 44 million Microsoft users who had reused the same passwords.

Therefore, it&rsquo;s essential employees don&rsquo;t reuse the same password across multiple accounts &ndash; no matter how complex it is &ndash; because if one account is compromised, the rest are at risk too.&nbsp;


<h3>2. Create a unique password for every account</h3>
A crucial part of password hygiene is making sure you and your employees create a unique passcode for every account. Don&rsquo;t use words or phrases found in the dictionary or online, and avoid any sequences such as 123 or 2468.

Consider creating memorable passphrases that contain a minimum of 12 characters and a mixed combination of lowercase and uppercase letters, symbols, and numbers.&nbsp;

For instance, let&rsquo;s hypothetically say you&rsquo;re a Liverpool supporter and you watched your side thump Manchester United 5-0 at Old Trafford back in October 2021.&nbsp;

Something like &lsquo;Liverpool FC beat Manchester United at Old Trafford in October 2021&rsquo; could translate to lFc_Bmu@oTi1021.

Not only is this passphrase complex and more memorable, but it&rsquo;s also extremely difficult for bad actors to crack, which can significantly reduce the risk of a breach.&nbsp;

However, depending on the number of accounts you possess, manually updating every single password may not always be feasible, so it&rsquo;s worth using a <a href="https://teampassword.com/password-generator">password generator tool</a> to protect your data.


<h3>3. Get into the habit of reviewing and updating passwords</h3>
Most security experts recommend <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-often-should-i-change-my-password?r=US&amp;IR=T">changing your password every few months</a>, particularly if your accounts have been compromised without you realizing it.

To achieve this, you need to develop a strong security culture. Make sure you provide regular security awareness training and educate your employees about password security. In doing so, they&rsquo;ll know what&rsquo;s expected of them, and you&rsquo;ll significantly reduce the likelihood of someone creating a weak password and exposing your business to bad actors.


<h3>4. Deploy multi-factor authentication (MFA)</h3>
Whatever industry you&rsquo;re in, multi-factor authentication is arguably one of the most important security tools out there, and it can better protect your passwords from cybercriminals.

MFA strengthens the login process by requesting users to provide three pieces of information. For instance, you may be asked to provide a password, an SMS code, and a photo of yourself to verify your identity.

Considering that most people reuse the same passwords, not only will MFA stop cybercriminals from accessing their accounts, but it&rsquo;ll significantly reduce the likelihood of a security breach.&nbsp;


<h3>5. Use a password manager</h3>
Let&rsquo;s face it: our memory isn&rsquo;t perfect. That&rsquo;s why most of us use memorable phrases or words as our passwords and make a note of them. Sadly, neither of these are good practice and can do more harm than good.

With employees already<a href="https://dataprot.net/statistics/password-statistics/"> spending around 12.6 minutes per week inputting or resetting passwords</a>, according to Ponemon Institute, simplifying password management is more important than ever for security and productivity, especially in the era of remote/hybrid work.

Here are a few reasons why you should adopt a password manager to strengthen your password hygiene:
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Password managers allow users to securely generate, manage and store complex passwords.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Login credentials are stored in an encrypted vault and adhere to the strongest encryption standards (AES 256-bit), meaning hackers won&rsquo;t be able to get through your defenses with brute-force techniques.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Some vendors provide dark web monitoring features that highlight whether your login details have been breached.</li>
</ul>

<h2>Final thoughts</h2>
Simply relying on employees to create unique and complex passwords isn&rsquo;t enough in today&rsquo;s cybersecurity world. Instead, IT leaders must educate and encourage the workforce to practice good password hygiene. By adopting the above five actions as part of your security strategy, you&rsquo;ll strengthen your defenses and ultimately prevent cybercriminals from gaining unauthorized access to your accounts.

From a security perspective, one weak password can weaken your defenses. Practice these good password hygiene tips to keep your team safe.

Despite much awareness, employees are still using easy-to-remember passwords, and to make matters worse, they’re also reusing them ...

5 Password Hygiene Tips to Stop Cybercriminals

Despite much awareness, employees are still using easy-to-remember passwords, and to make matters worse, they’re also reusing them across their personal and corporate accounts. Therefore, practicing good password hygiene is key in the fight against cybercriminals.

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!

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. ...

Top 5 Dangerous Ways to Store Your Passwords

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 ...

TeamPassword Blog

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