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!
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<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;
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<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.
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<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.
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<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.
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<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!

2022 has been a year of tech giants getting breached. Human fallibility continues to be, for the most part, the weakest link in company security. More on that later.&nbsp;
The latest victim is the ubiquitous ride-sharing company, Uber.&nbsp;
<h1>The 2022 Uber Breach - What, How, and Lessons Learned</h1>
This isn&rsquo;t the first time Uber has been breached. In 2016 they allegedly paid hackers $100,000 to delete the data they stole and keep the breach a secret. A year and CEO change later, the hack was publicized, revealing that personal information from over 50 million Uber riders and the driver&rsquo;s license numbers of 600,000 US drivers had been leaked.
Every publicized breach is a chance to learn and prepare. In this article, we will briefly cover what happened with the Uber breach of 2022 and then discuss what companies should do to shore up their defenses.&nbsp;
For more details about the breach itself, Uber <a href="https://www.uber.com/newsroom/security-update/" rel="follow noopener" target="_blank">maintains their own newsroom</a> covering the situation.&nbsp;
<h2>How did the Uber breach happen?</h2>
The 2022 Uber breach was a &ldquo;<a href="https://teampassword.com/blog/your-passwords-are-only-as-secure-as-your-teams" rel="follow noopener" target="_blank">social engineering</a>&rdquo; attack. In social engineering attacks, cybercriminals use psychology to manipulate users into disclosing secret information or taking an action that allows the criminal to access private data.&nbsp;
In this case, one Uber contractor unknowingly allowed the hackers the access they needed. Uber states that &ldquo;It is likely that the attacker purchased the contractor&rsquo;s Uber corporate password on the dark web, after the contractor&rsquo;s personal device had been infected with malware, exposing those credentials.&rdquo;&nbsp;
The attacker then employed an increasingly common attack called MFA (multi-factor authentication) Fatigue. They repeatedly attempted to log in with the stolen password, which caused the contractor to be spammed with authentication requests. Eventually, either by accident or to make it stop, the contractor accepted one such request.
With access to one account, the hacker was able to get into other employees&rsquo; accounts and further elevate their permissions. They took the opportunity to boast of their feat internally.&nbsp;&nbsp;
<img src="https://cdn.buttercms.com/EoRmRO0rRBSwr8DQBQQw" alt="undefined" width="665" height="393" />
Uber has taken cautionary steps, including mandatory password resets and locking down its codebase.&nbsp;
<h2>Who was responsible for the Uber breach?</h2>
They believe LAPSUS$, a hacking group that has taken credit for breaches of Nvidia, Samsung, and Microsoft, to name a few, is responsible.&nbsp;
LAPSUS$ itself is an interesting rabbit hole. They first made headlines by hacking Brazil&rsquo;s Ministry of Health and deleting the health records of millions of people (thankfully the government had backups). LAPSUS$ later breached Nvidia - a technology company famous for its GPUs -&nbsp; and demanded that they make their drivers open-source if they did not wish their data leaked. In March of this year, the London police arrested seven teenagers related to the group. All have since been released, and LAPSUS$ continues its prolific run.&nbsp;
LAPSUS$&rsquo;s goal is unknown, nor do authorities know whether they have backing from a larger organization. Recent activity suggests that members operate from the UK and US, though some suspect ties to South America given their propensity for targeting that region.&nbsp;
For more information about LAPSUS$, Krebs has done great work <a href="https://krebsonsecurity.com/?s=%22lapsus%24%22" rel="follow noopener" target="_blank">documenting their activity</a>.
<h2>What can we learn from the Uber breach?</h2>
The breaches at Microsoft, Cisco, Uber, etc. all have a common pattern. There were no incredible feats of &ldquo;hacking,&rdquo; where a genius criminal breaks through security systems with sweat dripping down their brow as shown on TV. Instead, the attacks were intentional, methodical, and exploited human fallibility.&nbsp;&nbsp;
Humans are the easiest and often the weakest target. Many people see through and avoid becoming victims of social engineering tactics. But among companies like Uber, which employs over 29,000 people and has 122 million users each month, or T-Mobile (<a href="https://teampassword.com/blog/t-mobile-data-breach-2021-what-happened" rel="follow noopener" target="_blank">victim of a major breach in 2021</a>), which employs 75,000 people and outsources much of its customer support, there are more than a few prime targets for cybercriminals.
We may sound like a broken record exhorting you to educate your employees and demand security best practices. But seriously - educate your employees and demand security best practices!
If we&rsquo;ve learned anything from recent breaches, it&rsquo;s that they would not have been possible without successful social engineering.&nbsp;
<h2>How could the Uber breach have been prevented?</h2>
The Uber hackers followed two relatively simple steps:&nbsp;
<ol>
<li style="text-align: left;">Buy compromised passwords</li>
<li style="text-align: left;">Social Engineer an employee&nbsp;</li>
</ol>
<h3>Improve Password Hygiene</h3>
Individuals and companies can reduce the risk of compromised passwords by regularly scheduling password changes. Setting a reminder to appear every 90 days on your phone to change vital passwords and run manual security checks makes it less likely for your passwords to be available for purchase. There are also programs that will monitor personal devices in real-time. These precautions alone aren't enough, as even relatively new passwords can be compromised.&nbsp;&nbsp;
For added security and convenience, <a href="https://teampassword.com/" rel="follow noopener" target="_blank">use a password manager like TeamPassword</a>. Password managers encrypt and store all of your passwords in one secure location. Many even include built-in password generators and mandatory 2FA.&nbsp;
<h3>Use 2FA</h3>
To counter the second step - social engineer an employee - you should use the best 2FA available and stay calm in the face of urgent requests to bypass the security measures you have in place.&nbsp;
Not all 2FA methods are equally effective. Authenticator Apps that generate One-Time-Passwords (OTP) directly on your device and refresh them regularly are more secure than SMS sent via a cellular carrier to your phone. The danger of SMS is mostly due to the possibility of SIM-swapping, where a criminal convinces a carrier to transfer a customer&rsquo;s number to the criminal&rsquo;s own device, thus gaining control of any OTPs. The <a href="https://krebsonsecurity.com/2021/10/fcc-proposal-targets-sim-swapping-port-out-fraud/" rel="follow noopener" target="_blank">FCC is making attempts to stop this</a>, but SMS is still widely used and remains vulnerable.&nbsp;
Using 2FA can be annoying. It requires you to use a second device, and the time it takes adds up. But the security it provides is worth the cost. So use it if you can.
<h3>Don&rsquo;t Act - Ask</h3>
Finally, common sense and a healthy dose of skepticism are essential components of a strong defense. If a request for information seems urgent, doesn&rsquo;t seem familiar, or make sense, then it&rsquo;s best to pause, consider, and confirm. Call the sender or ask a colleague to take a look. No one wants to &ldquo;cry wolf,&rdquo; but cybersecurity is a complex subject, and caution will be appreciated more often than not.
It&rsquo;s always better to get a second pair of eyes on the situation.&nbsp;
<h3>Consider Using Hard Tokens</h3>
The Uber breach has also raised questions about hard vs. soft tokens. Soft tokens are software-based like MFA that uses a passcode or pin. Hard tokens are physical objects that grant access, like a USB or fob.&nbsp;
Hardware tokens are generally much more secure, as proven by the <a href="https://blog.cloudflare.com/2022-07-sms-phishing-attacks/" rel="follow noopener" target="_blank">failed phishing attack on Cloudflare</a> and <a href="https://krebsonsecurity.com/2018/07/google-security-keys-neutralized-employee-phishing/" rel="follow noopener" target="_blank">Google&rsquo;s success in thwarting phishing</a>. Someone has to physically steal the hard key to gain access. However, hard keys are more expensive to purchase and maintain, which has historically precluded them from all but the most high-security applications.&nbsp;
<h2>Final Thoughts</h2>
Cybersecurity is an incredibly dynamic field. Researching the Uber breach and LAPSUS$ motivated me to take inventory of my current 2FA settings and improve security where possible. Hopefully, this overview of the Uber breach has helped you identify an area of improvement for yourself and your company.

The Uber breach shows that human fallibility continues to be weakest link in company security. What can we do about it?

2022 has been a year of tech giants getting breached. Human culpability continues to be, for the most ...

The 2022 Uber Breach

2022 has been a year of tech giants getting breached. Human culpability continues to be, for the most part, the weakest link in company security. More on that later. The latest victim is the ubiquitous ride sharing company, Uber. This isn’t the first time Uber has been breached. In 2016 ...

<h2>Introduction</h2>
Technological advances make people more effective despite spending less time at work. This phenomenon was amplified by the altered work habits adopted to slow the spread of COVID-19.&nbsp; The situation forced people and organizations to explore <a href="https://teampassword.com/blog/remote-work-isnt-just-a-trend-its-the-future" style="color: #40d8e3;">new ways of working remotely</a>, which had the unexpected consequence of increasing productivity.

In response, many companies, especially software organizations, are exploring how remote work can benefit the business and their employees.
<h2>Why is employee engagement crucial for business growth?</h2>
<h2><img src="https://cdn.buttercms.com/PzGDj1SIqkZYWdCa2qAa" width="519" height="325" style="font-size: 14px; font-family: Lato, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"></h2>
When developers enjoy and are appreciated for their work, their motivation increases. It boosts their desire to be more productive and helps them achieve the company's goals. Remote work can also play a significant role in enhancing employee motivation and satisfaction by improving their engagement and retention in organizations.
According to data shared by Linkedin, 74% of employees agree that the option to work remotely has increased their tenure at their company.
Frontline developers need an environment that supports the creative and innovative nature of their work. Many of today's developers prefer working remotely as it provides the most comfortable place to express their creative ideas.

Not all businesses are set up for fully remote work environments. Employers should at least consider giving developers some flexibility to choose where and how they work.&nbsp; This choice offers more than just freedom; it enables them to do their best work.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<h2>Benefits of Remote work for Developer's engagement and Retention-</h2>
<img src="https://cdn.buttercms.com/yqFkgqyQYyi8zLNInILh" width="622" height="340">
Remote work brings lots of benefits to individual developers and their companies as a whole. Here are a few notable benefits:
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">
<h3>Developers stay with the job longer.</h3>
</li>
</ul>
In the current economy, many companies are facing attrition problems and low employee retention rates.&nbsp; Increasing salaries or offering better benefits are a few ways companies can retain employees.&nbsp; But this isn&rsquo;t an option for every business. Embracing remote work could be the answer.&nbsp;

A survey of more than three thousand developers conducted by Stack Overflow and Indeed in August 2018 found that remote workers stay with their company an average of six months longer than employees who are not remote workers.&nbsp;
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">
<h3>Improves mental health.</h3>
</li>
</ul>
A study published in Harvard Business Review found that 26% of employees report better mental health or fewer complaints about mental health issues after one year of remote work. Most of the employees said they felt more motivated, productive, and happy working remotely than at the office and reported less stress, more satisfaction, and increased productivity.
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">
<h3>Improves Productivity.</h3>
</li>
</ul>
More productive and satisfied employees are more likely to stay with your company. Remote work lowers employees' stress levels, gives them the flexibility to work from home, and reduces unnecessary distractions that decrease productivity. It improves job satisfaction, which leads to higher performance, and the quality of work you receive improves. You may even consider hiring a <a href="https://www.esparkinfo.com/hire-dedicated-developer.html" style="color: #40d8e3;" rel="follow">dedicated development team</a> to work remotely on your projects.&nbsp;&nbsp;
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">
<h3>Greater engagement.</h3>
</li>
</ul>
Remote work provides developers with the space and time that they need to focus on their projects.&nbsp; Messaging apps and audio and video conferencing platforms make it easy for remote workers to collaborate with co-workers, partners, and employees who work from different locations without having to leave their workstations to attend an in-person meeting.&nbsp; This makes the rest of the team more accessible to the developer and the developer more accessible to the rest of the team.&nbsp; Cutting out distractions and interruptions improves developer productivity.&nbsp;&nbsp;
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">
<h3>Reduce costs.</h3>
</li>
</ul>
Employers that allow remote work require less physical office space. That means they can reduce costs in rent and utilities.&nbsp; Employers may also find that there are tax savings or other financial benefits to employing developers remotely.&nbsp;

For employees, those cost savings may be returned in the form of benefits or additional perks.&nbsp; Remote employees also can save costs on transportation to and from work, food expenses, and other small &ldquo;work-related&rdquo; expenses that add up over time.&nbsp;
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">
<h3>Larger talent pool.</h3>
</li>
</ul>
Allowing remote work allows employers to find development talent across time zones and locations.&nbsp; Flexible working hours further expands the field of potential employees while also enabling prospective developers opportunities that may not be available in their physical location.&nbsp;&nbsp;
<img src="https://cdn.buttercms.com/7AhsiJHS6SCPRxE1luNf" alt="undefined" width="800" height="450">
With more developers looking for <a href="https://www.developersforhire.com/#job-volume-trend" rel="follow noopener" target="_blank">remote job openings</a>, there is more talent available on the remote job market.&nbsp;
For these reasons, companies should allow remote working opportunities to developers. Offering additional perks such as vacation days and flexible work schedules may further improve developer retention and engage them more with the organization. It also allows developers to maintain a better balance between their work and their personal life.&nbsp;

<h2>Conclusion</h2>
Remote work allows developers to work from the physical location that&rsquo;s best for them, which leads to greater productivity, engagement, and retention. Furthermore, when developers can <a href="https://teampassword.com/blog/5-tips-to-increase-security-for-your-remote-workforce">control their own time</a>, they feel less stressed and more satisfied with their job, leading to higher performance at work.

Technological advances make people more effective despite spending less time at work. This phenomenon was amplified by the altered work habi

Technological advances make people more effective despite spending less time at work. This phenomenon was amplified by the ...

How Remote Work Improves Developer Engagement and Retention

Technological advances make people more effective despite spending less time at work. This phenomenon was amplified by the altered work habits adopted to slow the spread of COVID-19.  The situation forced people and organizations to explore new ways of working remotely, which had the unexpected consequence of increasing productivity. Many companies, especially software organizations, are exploring how remote work can benefit businesses and their employees.

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 ...

In our second article of this cybersecurity series, we will be taking a look to Cross-site request forgery (CSRF). As a password manager, <a href="https://teampassword.com/" rel="follow noopener" target="_blank">TeamPassword</a> takes pride in maintaining your password data secured from attackers, but passwords managers alone cannot keep you safe. It is necessary to be aware of the main attack vectors that hackers may use to exploit cybersecurity vulnerabilities and be mindful of them while browsing the Internet.
<h1>What is cross-site request forgery and how can you defend against it?</h1>
<h2>How does CRSF work?&nbsp;</h2>
Cross-site request forgery, abbreviated as XSRF or CSRF, is an attack that attempts to have users unknowingly execute actions on a web application for which they are currently authenticated. This attack is similar to the <a href="https://teampassword.com/blog/cross-site-scripting-xss-what-it-is-and-how-to-defend-against-it" rel="follow noopener" target="_blank">Cross-site scripting attacks (XSS)</a>, but it exploits a different type of trust: the trust that a web application has in an authenticated user.
Using this type of attack, the hacker could, for example, change the user's email address or password in the vulnerable web application, transfer funds from the user's bank account, or gain control over the user's account.
For the CRSF to work, four conditions need to happen:
<h3>1. Cookie-based session handling.</h3>
By definition, a cookie is a piece of data from a website that is stored within a web browser that the website can retrieve at a later time. Every time we log into a web application, a cookie is sent automatically to our browser so that the web application can verify our login. This way, we will be authenticated by this web application and we can take any actions we want within it.&nbsp;
<h3>2. No unpredictable request parameters.</h3>
The action request (for example, changing the user's email address) does not contain any parameters whose values will be unknown to the attacker.&nbsp;
<h3>3. The user clicks the malicious URL.</h3>
This is usually done by social engineering to trick the victim into clicking the URL that the attacker carefully crafted. Once clicked, the action request will be triggered without the user knowing it.
<h3>4. The user must be logged in to the vulnerable web application.</h3>
If the user is logged in to a vulnerable web application, the attacker can use the CRSF attack to exploit it, so it is always safer to log out before browsing the Internet.

<h2>An Example of a CSRF Attack</h2>
For example, let's say the user has logged in to an online banking web application. The user's browser will now have a session cookie that authenticates it in that web application.
The user decides to browse their favorite forum while being logged into that web application. There, they stumble upon an interesting post with a link, and they click it. The link looked like this, but he didn't notice it at the time:
<pre class="language-undefined"><code>&lt;a href="http://vulnerable-bank.com/transfer_funds?acct=JOSE&amp;amount=3000"&gt;Check it out!&lt;/a&gt;</code></pre>
Without them knowing, clicking the link has triggered a request action that sends the user's funds to the attacker's bank account.
The request might look like this:
<pre class="language-ruby"><code>POST /transfer_funds HTTP/1.1
Host: vulnerable-bank.com
Content-Type: application/x-www-form-urlencoded
Cookie: SessionID=d3yght4s6

acct=JOSE
amount=3000</code></pre>

<h2>How to prevent CSRF attacks?</h2>
<h3>Prevention by End Users</h3>
Although CSRF is fundamentally a problem with the web application, there are two main actions that end users can take to protect themselves:
1. Before clicking on a link, always double-check that it leads you to a trustworthy website and that is not triggering any action you might not want to take.
2. Remember to log off the website before visiting another, or clear the browser's cookies at the end of each session.
<h3>Prevention by Web Developers</h3>
For the software application itself, there are several ways to harden it to prevent this type of attack:
1. Use secure tokens that the attacker would not know to embed in the link. The best way to achieve this is through a CSRF token. A CSRF token is a secure random token that is used to prevent CSRF attacks. An approach that is normally effective is to transmit the token to the client within a hidden field of an HTML form that is submitted using the POST method. The token will then be included as a request parameter when the form is submitted:
<pre class="language-markup"><code>&lt;input type="hidden" name="csrf-token" value="{{ csrf_token }}" /&gt;
</code></pre>
2. Check the referring URL in requests received from end users and only accept requests originating from their own site.

<h2>Conclusion</h2>
Web applications are complex ecosystems, which makes it important for cybersecurity professionals to harden them against any type of attack. As an end user, it is always good to use reliable applications with certified security, especially if the application handles valuable data for you or your organization. At <a href="https://teampassword.com/" rel="follow noopener" target="_blank">TeamPassword</a>, we take security seriously, as we are the custodians of important password data. Join the hundreds of companies that trust us, and rest easy knowing that your data is in the right place.

Cross-site request forgery attempts to have users unknowingly execute actions on a web application which they are currently authenticated.

Cross-site request forgery, abbreviated as XSRF or CSRF, is an attack that attempts to have users unknowingly execute ...

Cross-site request forgery: what it is and defenses

Cross-site request forgery, abbreviated as XSRF or CSRF, is an attack that attempts to have users unknowingly execute actions on a web application which they are currently authenticated. This attack is similar to the Cross-site scripting attacks (XSS) but it exploits a different type of trust: the trust that a web application has in an authenticated user.

Cybersecurity Series: What is cross-site request forgery (CSRF) and how to defend against it

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.

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

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

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

Have I Been Hacked? How to Know for Sure.

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

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

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

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