Dreaming of a flexible career where you set your own hours and work with clients from around the globe? The rise of the gig economy has made this dream a reality for countless professionals. From graphic designers to writers and developers, freelancers are reshaping the traditional workplace.
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, <a href="https://www.upwork.com/research/freelance-forward-2022" rel="follow noopener" target="_blank">freelancers contributed $1.35 trillion to the U.S. economy in annual earnings in 2022, up $50 billion from 2021</a>.&nbsp;Some of the most successful freelancers earn hundreds of thousands of dollars per year through platforms like Upwork, Freelancer, and Toptal.
But what does it take to become a top-earning freelancer? In this post, we'll examine 10 successful individuals who have built thriving careers in the freelance world. By examining their portfolios and successes, we hope to give you a better idea of what's possible in the freelance world, and inspire you to take the leap should you decide that freelance is the right choice for you!
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Does your company hire freelancers? How do you <a href="https://teampassword.com/blog/should-i-share-data-with-freelancers" rel="follow noopener" target="_blank">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/signup" rel="follow noopener" target="_blank">Sign up for a 14-day free trial</a> today.
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<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" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">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" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">portfolio website Koenvo</a> was nominated for a <a href="https://www.awwwards.com/sites/koenvo-ui-ux-portfolio" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">2021 awwwards Award</a>.
<img src="https://cdn.buttercms.com/IOmtrbdOQZev1mS8Jc33" alt="undefined" width="650" height="433">&nbsp;Image by Freepik&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.
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<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/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Check out Paul's website</a> for more about his impressive portfolio and work history.
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<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" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">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="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Upwork profile</a>.
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<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/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Marcos Rezende's website</a> was nominated for the prestigious <a href="https://www.awwwards.com/sites/ux-portfolio-marcos-rezende" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">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" rel="follow noopener" target="_blank">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/signup" rel="follow noopener" target="_blank">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.
On the Enterprise plan, you can even <a href="https://teampassword.com/one-time-secret?navbar=onetimesecret" rel="follow noopener" target="_blank">share a one-time password link</a>.&nbsp;
<a href="https://teampassword.com/" rel="follow noopener" target="_blank">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" rel="follow noopener" target="_blank">password generator</a> lets you create secure passwords between 12-32 characters using numbers, letters (uppercase/lowercase), and symbols.
<img src="https://cdn.buttercms.com/tj8gEkSCTwiowMUAocHy" alt="Built-in password generator.gif" width="400" height="305"> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;
Ready to onboard clients and freelancers securely with TeamPassword's robust password management solution? <a href="https://app.teampassword.com/signup" rel="follow noopener" target="_blank">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!

<h2>Introduction</h2>
Did the Netflix documentary &lsquo;Social Dilemma&rsquo; make you concerned about data privacy too? Then, let&rsquo;s find out what Max Schrems did and what you can do to protect your data.
A pivotal step is, of course, managing your credentials and the websites you often login to.&nbsp;
<a href="https://app.teampassword.com/dashboard?utm_source=blog&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_campaign=bcms#signup/testimonial" rel="follow">TeamPassword</a> presents a simple yet effective way to store and share passwords as well as team logins to keep your business moving. You should sign up for the free trial <a href="https://app.teampassword.com/dashboard?utm_source=blog&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_campaign=bcms#signup/testimonial" rel="follow">here</a>.
Alternatively, check out <a href="https://teampassword.com/blog/seven-signs-you-need-a-password-manager">7 signs</a> that you need a password manager.
&nbsp;&nbsp;
<h2>Why exactly is Max Schrems famous?</h2>
Maximilian (Max) Schrems is an Austrian privacy activist and lawyer known for standing up against colossal tech-giants, especially Facebook. Schrems wrote his term paper while at Santa Clara University on Facebook&rsquo;s lack of awareness regarding the European Privacy Laws which, caught everyone&rsquo;s attention.&nbsp;
In 2011 he then filed his first set of complaints with the Irish Data Protection Commissioner (DPC) against Facebook for its privacy violation including breach of European privacy laws.&nbsp;
In 2013 he filed another complaint with the DPC targeting the company&rsquo;s data transfer from Ireland to the United States. The complaint found its basis on the European Law allowing data transfer to a non-EU country only if the organization can assure enough &ldquo;adequate-protection&rdquo;.&nbsp;
To read more about his work and the timeline, visit <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Max_Schrems">here</a>.
&nbsp;&nbsp;
<h2>What could they possibly do with your data?</h2>
Max Schrems was concerned about our privacy. However, the question arises, what could Social Media possibly achieve with our data?&nbsp;
The content you see, read, or even scroll by is often customised based on your preferences which seems harmless, but have you looked closely enough? For instance, things seem to work fine if you&rsquo;re into skincare or working out, but what happens when a user creates a Facebook group promoting hate content?
This basic rule of like-minded people connecting with other like-minded people is what led to the &ldquo;Cambridge Analytica - Facebook scandal&rdquo; during the 2016 presidential election. The content polarization has even induced riots and violence according to several studies. Not that virtual, after all?
The repercussions do not stop here, find more about the democracy, gender, and health dilemma <a href="https://www.thesocialdilemma.com/the-dilemma/">here</a>.
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<h2>The Manipulation Game</h2>
Now that you know about the polarization, you might be wondering about the working of this black box. How could a machine possibly predict your life choices? Well, sometimes it does and sometimes it doesn&rsquo;t but the whole concept of Machine Learning is to be better by learning where it went wrong.&nbsp;
For instance, the algorithms keep track of the:
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Time spent on each post</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Kind of post a user most engages with ( reaction, comments, etc.)</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Facebook Groups</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Shared Networks, etc.</li>
</ul>
The sophisticated algorithms now know what notification to send for you to check your phone based on the very information you provided. The minute you tap on that notification is when the algorithm is alerted if the trick worked. In the case that it didn&rsquo;t work, at least the algorithm now knows what doesn&rsquo;t work.
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<h2>The solution to your Social Dilemma</h2>
The infinite scrolling, fancy user interface (UI), pull to refresh, and other features have been designed keeping in mind human psychology. The notification sound works as the perfect distraction to halt your productivity.&nbsp;
If there are so many distractions, why don&rsquo;t we delete our accounts and put a stop to it all at once? As spiritual as it sounds, one cannot ignore the benefits of social media. More importantly, it might not be easy to give it up altogether.
A quick fix is, of course, turning off notifications. This way, you would only open the application when you actually want to. But, what if your profession demands an active social media presence? Perhaps you are in the marketing field or even running your own company.
In that case, you can neither deactivate your account nor turn off the notifications. However, you still want to be able to manage your accounts securely. <a href="https://www.teampassword.com/">TeamPassword</a> allows you to add, share and, manage all of your internal and client passwords including social media. Know more about the <a href="https://www.teampassword.com/pricing">plans &amp; pricing</a> or sign up for the <a href="https://app.teampassword.com/dashboard#signup/testimonial">14-day free trial </a>today!
Find <a href="https://www.thesocialdilemma.com/take-action/">more</a> on how you can realign your relationship with social media &amp; technology by taking action and striking a conversation.
Continue your research on <a href="https://www.teampassword.com/security">security and encryption</a> here!
&nbsp;&nbsp;
<h2>Conclusion</h2>
Social Media can be overwhelming but one cannot ignore the immense benefits it provides connecting with the people you love. We can, however, keep our accounts safe from cyber attacks. Secure your account today by following these <a href="https://teampassword.com/blog/tips-and-tricks-to-create-a-strong-password">tricks to create a strong password</a>.
At <a href="https://www.teampassword.com/">TeamPassword</a>, we aim to provide the best software to generate and manage your passwords correctly. If you&rsquo;re still unsure, check out our post on <a href="https://www.teampassword.com/blog/why-do-i-need-a-password-manager">&ldquo;Why do you need a password manager?&rdquo;</a>&nbsp; or book for our <a href="https://app.teampassword.com/dashboard?utm_source=blog&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_campaign=bcms#signup/testimonial" rel="follow">free trial</a> today!

Let’s find out what Max Schrems did and what it has to do with cybersecurity. Share and use your passwords safely with TeamPassword!

Did the Netflix documentary ‘Social Dilemma’ make you concerned about data privacy too? Then, let’s find out what ...

Who is Max Schrems and why is he famous? | TeamPassword

Did the Netflix documentary ‘Social Dilemma’ make you concerned about data privacy too? Then, let’s find out what Max Schrems did and what you can do to protect your data.

Who is Max Schrems, and Why is he Famous?

A few months ago our friends at <a href="https://in.security/" rel="follow">in.security</a> did a great webinar on all things related to passwords, and we wanted to share some of the key points.&nbsp;

<h2>How are Passwords Stored and Used?</h2>
When you register for a website or service, storing your password in plaintext in their database is&nbsp;

A "hash" is a a one-way cryptographic function which changes the input to an output that cannot be reversed. There are a number of secure hashing algorithms used for this purpose (check out this<a href="https://passwordsgenerator.net/sha256-hash-generator/" rel="follow"> online generator</a> to see how it works). The great thing about hashing algorithms is they will consistently produce the same output, but even a minor change to the input radically changes the end result. Using the SHA256 algorithm, the name TeamPassword becomes <code>773D2D1DB1E4E617F99515100DF3E6BB4F893DA1FC9A7F844E66F3086B69672B</code>. Just putting a space between Team and Password changes the output to <code>E8174A12ECE693ADF7D611E59192B049AA7CFD7DE2BC0654F7FC252282BD3F34</code>. 

<h2>How do Hackers Crack Passwords?</h2>
Hackers can use a number of methods to figure out your passwords and break into your accounts. Here's a quick <a href="https://www.teampassword.com/blog/are-hackers-really-trying-to-steal-your-password" rel="follow">overview</a> of the six main ways they do that.



<h2>Data Breaches and Password Reuse</h2>
There have been<a href="https://haveibeenpwned.com/PwnedWebsites" rel="follow"> a lot of breaches</a>...and likely more we don't know about.&nbsp;
<h2>How Can I Stay Safe?</h2>
Still trying to remember all your passwords? Now you know why a password manager will make your life easier, it&rsquo;s time to see why TeamPassword is your best option. Find out today by starting&nbsp;<a href="https://app.teampassword.com/dashboard?utm_source=blog&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_campaign=bcms#signup/testimonial" rel="follow">our free 14-day trial.</a>
If your business is looking for penetration tests, vulnerability assessments, or technical training <a href="https://in.security/" rel="follow">check them out</a>. You can follow them at <a href="https://twitter.com/stealthsploit" rel="follow">@Stealthsploit</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/insecurity_ltd" rel="follow">@in.security</a>&nbsp;

A few months ago our friends at in.security did a great webinar on all things related to passwords, and we wanted to share some of the key p

A few months ago our friends at in.security did a great webinar on all things related to passwords, ...

Everything You Wanted to Know About Passwords

A few months ago our friends at in.security did a great webinar on all things related to passwords, and we wanted to share some of the key points. How are Passwords Stored and Used? When you register for a website or service, storing your password in plaintext in their database ...

<a href="https://app.teampassword.com/dashboard?utm_source=blog&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_campaign=bcms#signup/testimonial" rel="follow">TeamPassword</a> offers simple and effective solutions to store and share passwords and team logins so that you can keep business projects moving and protect your assets. As we strive to expand our coverage, TeamPassword now supports the latest M1-powered Mac computers. In this article, we will discuss the security features of M1 chips and the major features of TeamPassword. 
If you're looking to ensure password security for you and your Team, you should sign up for the free trial <a href="https://app.teampassword.com/dashboard?utm_source=blog&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_campaign=bcms#signup/testimonial" rel="follow">here</a>.
&nbsp; &nbsp;
<h2>M1 Security Enhancements</h2>
You may have heard the recent news that Apple&rsquo;s Mac computers now come with the homemade M1 chip, severing its dependency on Intel and other chipmakers. Apple claimed that the M1 chip provides a wide range of benefits to users including faster speed, longer battery life, and no heating problems - all without increasing their price tag. 
What&rsquo;s also included are security features that you can find only on the M1 chip, which are features that you can't have in earlier non-M1 models.
Here are some of the M1 Security Enhancements:
<h3>System Integrity</h3>
The new M1 chip can verify the version of software installed on macOS during startup. It also constantly checks apps behind the scenes to ensure they are behaving as authorized by the OS. As it becomes part of the normal operating rhythm in Mac computers, malware or malicious websites have little chance to penetrate into and exploit your Mac.
<h3>Data Protection</h3>
The M1 chip provides default storage drive encryption. Furthermore, third-party app developers can utilize file-level encryption to protect critical data more securely while having no impact on system performance. It is a great improvement since security and performance previously didn&rsquo;t go well together.
<h3>Built-in Security Features</h3>
Apple&rsquo;s new chip has a built-in Secure Enclave that manages Touch ID and AES encryption hardware for SSD performance. Before M1, Intel-based Macs had a T2 chip that was responsible for security and other features on Mac. With M1, those security features are now embedded into the single chip, which gives you more efficiency.
These M1 security enhancements will allow users to have a secure environment without sacrificing performance. On top of these, with the TeamPassword's M1 support, you can manage your passwords with your teams more conveniently and securely.
 A growing <a href="https://teampassword.com/blog/time-to-celebrate-teampassword-reaches-25-million-shared-logins">number of users</a> benefit from the powerful features of TeamPassword, so check out the TeamPassword&rsquo;s major features below and <a href="https://app.teampassword.com/dashboard#signup/testimonial">try our password solution</a>.
&nbsp; &nbsp;
<h2>Major Features of TeamPassword</h2>
Let&rsquo;s find out what major features of TeamPassword you can enjoy with your new M1 Apple computers.
<h3>Accessibility</h3>
You can access and manage passwords from various sources including desktops, laptops, and <a href="https://teampassword.com/blog/introducing-teampassword-mobile-to-increase-user-productivity">mobile devices</a>. With the TeamPassword&rsquo;s extension, you can use Chrome, Firefox, or Safari to easily use your password and start working on your projects. After installing the extension, you can simply click your password on the extension menu to log in.
<h3>Collaboration</h3>
When you work alone, you won&rsquo;t have a problem remembering and managing your passwords. But, what if you work in a team environment for a big project? It&rsquo;s a totally different story since you will need a scalable solution. 
Bad password management could mean jeopardizing your team and the project. When you work in multiple teams or work for many clients, TeamPassword allows you to manage all passwords with a single account.&nbsp;
You can also share credentials with the whole or part of your teams and even with external clients. When new members come in or leave, you can add or remove certain users to your group.
<h3>Unique Password Generator</h3>
It is hard to come up with a strong password on your own. It needs creativity. Even if you make the first password successfully, you might have to rotate it with a new one regularly, which is a great security practice you should be adopting. 
But, it is a headache. Especially when you check how <a href="https://teampassword.com/blog/the-biggest-password-trends-of-2020">the trend of passwords</a> has been going recently, it would add even more complexity. To help you to get out of this struggle, TeamPassword provides the built-in unique password generator. With this tool, you can generate a secure password with a few simple clicks.
<h3>Multi-Factor Authentication</h3>
MFA or Multi-Factor Authentication provides an additional security layer to your login credentials. It is known that using MFA can block most of the automated login attempts from hackers. TeamPassword can be linked to Google Authenticator to generate code. After your master login, you&rsquo;ll be prompted to provide an MFA code when MFA mode is enabled. You can also <a href="https://mackeeper.com/blog/how-to-back-up-your-mac/" rel="follow">make backup codes</a> to prevent you from being locked out.
<h3>Logging and Notifications</h3>
Using passwords conveniently and securely is not all that you get with TeamPassword. Other important features include logging and notifications. When someone is added to a login group, you will want to get notified to track the activities. 
Also, TeamPassword informs you of which logins are being updated. With these features, you can closely monitor the behaviors of users and make them compliant.
&nbsp; &nbsp;
<h2>Conclusion</h2>
We have learned the major security features of TeamPassword and the new M1 chips. Combined together, you can more securely manage your passwords and share them with your team members in multiple projects. At TeamPassword we provide the best software to generate and have your passwords managed correctly. If you would like to learn more about it, please <a href="https://app.teampassword.com/dashboard?utm_source=blog&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_campaign=bcms#signup/testimonial" rel="follow">sign on to the free 14-day trial</a> today.

TeamPassword now has support for Apple’s latest M1-powered Mac computers. Get great password security on all devices with TeamPassword.

TeamPassword now has support for Apple’s latest M1-powered Mac computers. Get great password security on all devices with ...

Apple's M1 Macs are supported! | TeamPassword Blog

TeamPassword supports Apple's M1 Macs!

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

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

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

Most Common Password Problems Faced by Small Organizations

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

&ldquo;Password&rdquo; is indeed&nbsp;a bad password to use. You are right to roll your eyes if you hear somebody has used it. But there&rsquo;s a good chance your password sucks&nbsp;as well.
Several times a year, mainstream and tech media will report on the latest list of the &ldquo;worst&rdquo; passwords. Several different organizations make an annual list but they almost always use the same (lack of) criteria. It&rsquo;s simply&nbsp;based on how often the password appeared in leaked and stolen databases of account passwords.
It's not the fact a password was in such a list that makes it &ldquo;worst&rdquo; in this scenario: the database being exposed in plain text form is the fault of the hacked website, not the users. Instead the logic is that a password being used most often makes it &ldquo;obvious&rdquo; and thus a terrible choice.
Virtually every time this top ten comprises terms like &ldquo;password&rdquo;, &ldquo;123456&rdquo;, &ldquo;letmein&rdquo; and the occasional cultural reference: chances are &ldquo;COVID&rdquo; will be all over the lists for 2020. The usual media response is that such obvious terms appearing in the list prove the computer-using public are a bunch of idiots and society is doomed.
The problem is that these terms appearing in the lists don&rsquo;t tell us much useful about users as a whole&nbsp;because these terms will always be in the list. It&rsquo;s completely circular logic because inherently the most commonly used passwords will always be obvious and predictable choices.
What would actually&nbsp;be useful would be to know what percentage of all passwords fall into the &ldquo;obvious category&rdquo; or even what proportion are rarely used or even unique. That would tell us much more about trends in behavior.
Let&rsquo;s look instead at some of the factors that really determines how secure a password is.
<h2>Dictionary Words</h2>
A password that&rsquo;s simply&nbsp;a word is about as bad as it gets, and that&rsquo;s the case whether you use &ldquo;password&rdquo; or &ldquo;rhubarb&rdquo;. The former is certainly&nbsp;worse in the scenario of somebody literally typing in a guessed password to try to&nbsp;access an account. That&rsquo;s a very small part of overall cybercrime, however, particularly given most sites will lock after a set number of failed login attempts.
Instead, most attempts to crack a password involve thousands or millions of attempts, whether that involves bypassing the attempt limit or trying to decrypt a stolen database of encrypted passwords. The first run will often involve trying a list of words, which could be a list of known common passwords (including allegedly clever workarounds like &ldquo;pa55w0rd&rdquo;), the most common words in a language, or even a literal dictionary.
This won&rsquo;t usually be the only tactic an attacker uses, but a &ldquo;real&rdquo; word as your password puts you at much greater risk.
<h2>Length</h2>
The next step after a dictionary attack is a brute force attack. This involves literally trying every possible&nbsp;combination of letters and in this scenario, longer passwords are exponentially more secure. Think of it this way: you can guarantee to guess a single letter within 26 attempts. For two letters, you&rsquo;d need 26 x 26 attempts, totaling 676. Follow this logic and simply&nbsp;using eight characters gets you to five trillion possibilities. Even with incredibly fast computers, it only takes a few extra characters to increase the average time to crack a password from a few hours to thousands of years.
<h2>Special Characters</h2>
Using just letters makes for a bad password for the same reason that length matters. For a single character, using numbers takes the number of possibilities from 26 to 36. Use symbols on the average keyboard and you can easily add another 26. Use capital letters rather than just lower case and that&rsquo;s another 26. Even with a (very much not recommended) four-character password, you&rsquo;re talking about the difference between 11 million possibilities and nearly 6 billion.
<h2>The Most Terrible Password</h2>
The truth is that while length and characters matter, the worst password is the one you use on more than one site. Whenever an unencrypted database of usernames and passwords gets exposed (either&nbsp;because hackers decrypted it or they found it stored in plain text), the first thing they&rsquo;ll do is try the details on other websites and services, particularly ones that will grant access to sensitive personal data. When you reuse passwords on multiple accounts, you&rsquo;re effectively&nbsp;putting all those accounts at the same level of risk as the least-well secured.
<h2>The Truly Good Password</h2>
The most secure password is one that&rsquo;s unique to an account, is a good length (12 characters is often recommended as a minimum) and uses a combination of upper and lower case letters, numbers and symbols. If that sounds like it would be impossible to remember, don&rsquo;t worry: it&rsquo;s not smart to let your memory be a limit on your security. Instead the most practical way to generate and use unique reliably secure passwords for every account is a password manager.&nbsp;

“Password” is indeed a bad password to use. Let’s look instead at some of the factors that really determines how secure a password is.

“Password” is indeed a bad password to use. You are right to roll your eyes if you hear ...

The Truth About Terrible Passwords

“Password” is indeed a bad password to use. You are right to roll your eyes if you hear somebody has used it. But there’s a good chance your password sucks as well. Several different organizations make an annual list but they almost always use the same (lack of) criteria. It’s simply based on how often the password appeared in leaked and stolen databases of account passwords.

Here's a run down of what it feels like to be on the wrong end of a port-out scam, and what you can do to prevent it from happening to you.

Tokyo, midday on a Friday. My phone kept buzzing during my customer meeting. The day was a workday, ...

How I was port-out scammed in 3 hours

Tokyo, midday on a Friday. My phone kept buzzing during my customer meeting. The day was a workday, a day of travel and the day a personal property purchase was due to settle. Little did I know it was also the day I was the target of a “port-out” scam.

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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What is password encryption and how does it work?

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

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

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