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.
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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.
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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">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>.
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<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/">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">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!

Security breaches have become alarmingly common &mdash; both at home and in the workplace. Despite the rise of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.jungledisk.com/blog/2019/01/16/hacked-two-factor-authentication/">two-factor authentication</a>&nbsp;and constant horror stories in the media, many people still have&nbsp;<a href="https://www.jungledisk.com/blog/2018/09/17/bad-password-habits/">poor password hygiene</a>&nbsp;and remain at risk for these kinds of attacks. The stakes are even higher for small businesses with many employees &mdash; a single&nbsp;<a href="https://www.jungledisk.com/blog/2018/06/27/things-to-consider-from-verizon-2018-data-breach-investigations-report/">data breach</a>&nbsp;could put them out of business.
The Ponemon Institute, a leading provider of independent research on data protection and emerging technologies, recently released its&nbsp;<a href="https://www.yubico.com/authentication-report/">2019 State of Password and Authentication Security Behaviors Report</a>. The survey of 1,761 IT and IT security practitioners around the world provides a lot of insight into privacy and security concerns, including password management, authentication strategies and cybersecurity costs.
Let&rsquo;s take a look at some of the key insights from the report and some best practices to help address them.
<h2 id="phishing-attacks-are-common">Phishing Attacks are Common</h2>
<a href="https://www.jungledisk.com/blog/2019/05/20/is-it-a-phishing-email-or-a-real-email-heres-how-to-tell/">Phishing attacks</a>&nbsp;have become the most popular form of cyberattack against many homes and businesses. According to Ponemon, more than half of respondents (51 percent) said that they have experienced a phishing attack. A separate survey from&nbsp;<a href="https://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/news/average-cost-of-a-spear-phishing/">Cloudmark</a>&nbsp;found that phishing attacks were responsible for 38 percent of all cyberattacks on respondent companies and the average cost following an attack was upwards of $1.8 million.
Surprisingly, 57 percent of those that experienced a phishing attack didn&rsquo;t change&nbsp;<a href="https://www.jungledisk.com/blog/2019/06/10/your-passwords-arent-safe-unless-youre-taking-these-5-steps/">the way that they manage their passwords</a>. There&rsquo;s a good chance that many of these incidents also go unreported in the workplace. It&rsquo;s important to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.jungledisk.com/blog/2019/04/29/how-to-train-employees-on-cybersecurity/">train employees</a>&nbsp;on how to recognize phishing attacks and encourage them to report any attacks to the proper IT personnel. These efforts can help inform training exercises and proactively address risks.
Many network security solutions can also help prevent many phishing attacks. For example, Jungle Disk's Active Network Protection provides cloud firewall protection, safe internet filters,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.jungledisk.com/blog/2016/12/02/jungle-disk-blog-highlights-keep-your-business-critical-data-safe/">VPN remote access</a>&nbsp;and secure WiFi for employees and guests. By blocking many common phishing attempts before they reach employees, you can reduce the changes of employees inadvertently becoming a victim to these kinds of attacks.
<h2 id="password-hygiene-is-lacking">Password Hygiene is Lacking</h2>
Poor password hygiene is a leading cause of cybersecurity problems. According to Ponemon, nearly 70 percent of respondents have shared passwords with colleagues in the workplace and more than half reuse an average of five passwords across their business and/or personal accounts. Two-factor authentication can mitigate many of these issues, but nearly 70 percent of respondents don&rsquo;t use two-factor authentication.
<hr />
<a href="https://mailchi.mp/jungledisk.com/checklist-of-small-business-password-best-practices" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Download a sample cybersecurity job posting to use as a template during your hiring efforts.</a>
<hr />
There are several best practices that can help:
<ul>
<li>
Update passwords on a regular basis because stale passwords often show up in data breaches over time.
</li>
<li>
Use passphrases rather than passwords because they&rsquo;re longer and harder for computers to crack.
</li>
<li>
Use different passwords for each website or service, so if one is compromised, it doesn&rsquo;t impact other areas.
</li>
<li>
Enable two-factor authentication or use hardware tokens to add a second layer of security to your sensitive accounts.
</li>
</ul>
Password managers, like&nbsp;<a href="https://www.jungledisk.com/password-manager/">TeamPassword</a>, make it easy to automatically generate strong passwords and securely share them with colleagues. With browser plugins, TeamPassword even makes it easy to auto-fill strong passwords, so employees don&rsquo;t have to remember them or look them up every time. That way, there&rsquo;s no excuse for employees to share passwords with their colleagues or re-use the same password across multiple services.
<h2 id="managing-passwords-is-costly">Managing Passwords is Costly</h2>
Many small businesses know the importance of proper password management, but they may not realize how much it costs to manage passwords. According to Ponemon, the average respondent spends about 12 minutes per week entering and/or resetting passwords. This translates to an average cost of $5.2 million per year in lost productivity for organizations with 15,000 employees &mdash; and significant sums for any smaller businesses.
<img src="https://cdn.buttercms.com/e08yJ9XeSwOgTiA0QPQy" alt="undefined" />
Password managers can help reduce these costs by making it easier to generate and auto-fill passwords.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.jungledisk.com/password-manager/">TeamPassword</a>&nbsp;even makes it easy to share common passwords between employees and eliminates the need for password spreadsheets or other bad practices. With the average team having nearly 150 passwords to manage, the ability to generate unique passwords and share them can have a big impact on productivity.
Sign up for a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.jungledisk.com/password-manager/">free 14-day trial</a>&nbsp;of TeamPassword today!
<h2 id="hardware-tokens-are-the-future">Hardware Tokens Are the Future</h2>
Managing passwords can be inconvenient and cumbersome, and it&rsquo;s impossible to ensure that every single employee is following these best practices. It only takes a single rogue employee or insecure password to bring down the entire network. According to Ponemon, 56 percent of respondents believe that physical hardware tokens are a great alternative to two-factor authentication by eliminating the need for a smartphone or tablet.
<hr />
<a href="https://mailchi.mp/jungledisk.com/checklist-of-small-business-password-best-practices" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Don&rsquo;t forget to download our free checklist of small business password best practices to ensure that your business is secure from cyber attack.</a>
<hr />
Hardware tokens are physical devices that you carry with you or plug into your computer or smartphone. Some of these devices provide a one-time passcode for signing in with two-factor authentication while others interface directly with common applications, including email and social media accounts. Most of these devices still require a password, but employees don&rsquo;t need to worry about using a smartphone or requiring WiFi.
There are also some attempts to remove passwords altogether. For instance, Apple&rsquo;s&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apple.com/iphone-xr/face-id/">Face ID</a>&nbsp;uses biometrics to unlock the smartphone and make purchases. These technologies could not only eliminate the need to remember and manage passwords, but also greatly reduce the odds of an unauthorized login.&nbsp;<a href="https://auth0.com/passwordless">Auth0</a>&nbsp;also launched Passwordless, a product that enables users to login with nothing but their phone and email address.
<h2 id="the-bottom-line">The Bottom Line</h2>
Security breaches have become alarmingly common, but even the victims of cybersecurity incidents haven&rsquo;t stepped up their security measures. The good news is that new technologies are making it easier than ever to protect your own personal data and that of employees from cybersecurity threats. The key is properly implementing these technologies and ensuring that employees receive enough training to actually use them.
<a href="https://www.jungledisk.com/get-started/">Sign up for Jungle Disk</a>&nbsp;to access a comprehensive cybersecurity suite that&rsquo;s specifically designed for small businesses with between two and 250 employees.

Security breaches have become alarmingly common — both at home and in the workplace. Learn about the current state of the Password.

Security breaches have become alarmingly common — both at home and in the workplace. Despite the rise of ...

Ponemon’s State of Password Security Recap

Security breaches have become alarmingly common — both at home and in the workplace. Despite the rise of two-factor authentication and constant horror stories in the media, many people still have poor password hygiene and remain at risk for these kinds of attacks.

<h2 id="what-s-the-best-way-to-make-a-password">What&rsquo;s the best way to make a password?</h2>
The best way to make a password is to randomly generate it and save it into your favorite password manager. The reason this is a good idea is because your passwords are constantly at risk of getting leaked by the company you trust to protect them, so if the password you used for Yahoo in 2013 was the same password you used for your email or your bank, you&rsquo;d be in pretty big trouble!
<h2 id="unique-complicated-and-randomized-passwords-are-best-">Unique, complicated and randomized passwords are best.</h2>
Next to using a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.teampassword.com/?utm_source=jungledisk&amp;utm_medium=blog_post">password manager</a>, the next thing I&rsquo;d recommend is using some sort of pattern for the service you&rsquo;re using. For example, you could create a pattern like [website name][special character][first name][numbers].
So, if your name is Mary and you want to create a Twitter password, you could create a password like &ldquo;Twitter$$$Mary9987,&rdquo; and if you wanted a password for Facebook it&rsquo;d be &ldquo;Facebook$$$Mary9987.&rdquo; This is way worse than using a randomized password, but, it&rsquo;s way better than just reusing a weak password like &ldquo;rover123&rdquo; on every service.
Finally, length is really important for security, the longer a password is the harder it would be for someone to either guess or derive from some fancy math, so adding a long random selection of letters and/or numbers to your password can help, something like &ldquo;nmjkioNMJKIO,&rdquo; which is just a collection of upper and lowercase characters in a pattern up that section of your keyboard, but adds an extra 12 characters to your length, which isn&rsquo;t bad for something that&rsquo;s easy to remember and fast to type.
Ultimately, a randomized password generated from a manager like&nbsp;<a href="https://www.teampassword.com/?utm_source=jungledisk&amp;utm_medium=blog_post">TeamPassword&nbsp;</a>is the best option to keep your passwords secure.

What’s the best way to make a password? The best way to make a password is to randomly generate it and save it into your favorite password m

What’s the best way to make a password? The best way to make a password is to randomly ...

How to Make a Secure Password

What’s the best way to make a password? The best way to make a password is to randomly generate it and save it into your favorite password manager. The reason this is a good idea is because your passwords are constantly at risk of getting leaked by the company you ...

Over the years I've spent working for&nbsp;<a href="https://www.teampassword.com/?utm_source=teampassword&amp;utm_medium=blog_post" rel="follow">TeamPassword</a>, I've heard quite a few incorrect assumptions about password managers when talking to people who don't quite understand how they work. Today, I'm going to dispel those rumors! See below the most common password manager myths and misconceptions. &nbsp;
<h2>What are the five key myths and misconceptions about a password manager?</h2>
<h3 id="myth-password-managers-don-t-actually-increase-security-they-just-make-it-faster-to-get-access-to-your-passwords-">Myth: Password managers don&rsquo;t actually increase security, they just make it faster to get access to your passwords.</h3>
Password managers let you create a long, unique, secure password for every tool you use, doing the maximum to increase you password security. Without a password manager, teams would need to remember hundreds of different randomized passwords, which is too much to ask, so the alternative is falling back onto their usual 2&mdash;3 standard passwords. Using a password manager lets people log in to one account and access all the random, unique, secure passwords that they need.
Also, you&rsquo;re no longer typing passwords when you&rsquo;re in public! If you&rsquo;re working in a co-working space of coffee shop, you won&rsquo;t have to worry about who&rsquo;s looking over your shoulder.
<h3 id="myth-it-isn-t-secure-to-store-all-of-you-login-information-in-a-single-password-manager-because-it-could-get-compromised-">Myth: It isn&rsquo;t secure to store all of you login information in a single password manager because it could get compromised.</h3>
The people who run TeamPassword can&rsquo;t see your passwords, so even if someone hacks our information, yours still won't be visible. Everything is encrypted in your browser, sent to us encrypted and then transmitted back to your browser encrypted, and only then is decrypted into plain text.
Since it&rsquo;s natural that people on the team will need access to more than one tool, most passwords are all stored in the same place by companies. Otherwise, teams may resort to storing passwords somewhere like a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.jungledisk.com/blog/2018/10/12/risks-storing-passwords-in-google-sheets/">spreadsheet</a>, which both collects all your passwords in one place and makes it really hard to limit access within an organization.
Also, a lost or stolen master password isn&rsquo;t the end of the world! Each team member will be limited to the passwords that they need, so this doesn&rsquo;t mean that all your passwords will be at risk. We allow you to authenticate with&nbsp;<a href="https://developers.google.com/identity/" rel="follow">Google Sign-In</a>&nbsp;using your work email, making it easier to use a super long, complicated password for your TeamPassword, but still have the convenience for one click sign in.
<h3 id="myth-when-choosing-a-password-manager-you-should-look-for-one-that-hides-anyone-from-seeing-the-passwords-stored-because-it-s-more-private-that-way-">Myth: When choosing a password manager, you should look for one&nbsp;that hides anyone from seeing the passwords stored because it&rsquo;s more private that way.</h3>
It&rsquo;s important to know that if a password manager fills in form fields for you, it&rsquo;s possible (and pretty straightforward) for anyone with access to see that password by revealing the password field. If the password manager doesn&rsquo;t let you know the password, then that means that anyone at the password manager company could see your passwords.
TeamPassword makes it really easy to limit who has access to what, and we generally find that you should trust your team more than you trust your password manager, meaning that the password manager should have no way to know which usernames and passwords they&rsquo;re encrypting and storing.
<h3 id="myth-it-s-more-added-steps-to-use-a-password-manager-">Myth: It&rsquo;s more added steps to use a password manager.</h3>
Yes, it takes time to get&nbsp;<a href="https://www.jungledisk.com/blog/2018/09/05/steps-using-password-manager-for-your-small-business/">set up</a>, but TeamPassword saves tons of wasted time down the road. For a small one-person company, it might work to do everything manually, but as your team grows, one person is quickly elected as the &lsquo;password manager,&rsquo; and whenever someone needs to log into something that person will get a tap on the shoulder.
It&rsquo;s also nicer for new employees to know where they look for the usernames and passwords they need to do their job. It can be an awkward time starting a new job since you&rsquo;re eager to prove your worth to the company, the last thing you want to do is constantly nag your boss to help you get logged into tools.
To save you some of that initial startup time, we have an importer for companies to use, and everyone invited can add logins, so you can make the &lsquo;get passwords in&rsquo; stage a team sport. Also, this stage may have you realizing that you use the same password for 25 different services, or that a lot of your passwords are weak, so that so-called long setup time can be constructive if you&rsquo;re also updating and improving your passwords as you go. It&rsquo;s security debt you&rsquo;re paying down.
<h3 id="myth-the-password-manager-in-my-browser-is-good-enough-">Myth: The password manager in my browser is good enough.</h3>
While a browser&rsquo;s built-in password manager can totally get the job done, it really only works for one person. As soon as you have a service that&nbsp;<a href="https://www.jungledisk.com/blog/2019/03/11/how-to-manage-your-small-business-passwords/">more than one person&nbsp;</a>needs to log into, the team can quickly get out of sync.
If you're looking for a way to amp up your password security and efficiency, look no further than TeamPassword. Sign up for a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.teampassword.com/?utm_source=jungledisk&amp;utm_medium=blog_post">free 14-day trial here.</a>

Real answers to the rumors and questions about how password manager tools  work. Learn how they improve security and workflow efficiency.

Over the years I've spent working for TeamPassword , I've heard quite a few incorrect assumptions about password ...

Debunking Password Manager Myths and Misconceptions

Over the years I've spent working for TeamPassword , I've heard quite a few incorrect assumptions about password managers when talking to people who don't quite understand how they work. Today, I'm going to dispel those rumors! See below the most common password manager myths and misconceptions. Myth: Password managers ...

It&rsquo;s&nbsp;<a href="https://www.teampassword.com/">TeamPassword</a>&rsquo;s one year anniversary with Jungle Disk! On March 1, 2018,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.jungledisk.com/blog/2018/03/23/baltimore-to-san-antonio-joining-the-jungle-disk-team/">Brian Sierakowski decided to move TeamPassword from Baltimore to San Antonio&nbsp;</a>to join the mission to help small businesses with cybersecurity.
In 2012, Brian came up with a solution to the problem that so many businesses face &mdash; finding a simple way to share sensitive information like passwords among team members in a secure way. The result of solving that problem was TeamPassword. TeamPassword began in September 2012 at Startup Weekend in Baltimore, Maryland. Brian&rsquo;s idea&nbsp;<a href="http://cts.businesswire.com/ct/CT?id=smartlink&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Ftechnical.ly%2Fbaltimore%2F2012%2F10%2F01%2Fteampassword-emerges-as-startup-weekend-winner-15-total-startup-teams-formed%2F&amp;esheet=51768289&amp;newsitemid=20180306005256&amp;lan=en-US&amp;anchor=took+first+place+of+the+15+competing+teams&amp;index=4&amp;md5=7bc48f5270dfec3b1d82d0865171daf1">took first place of the 15 competing teams</a>. TeamPassword distinguished itself from other password managers as premiere tool for sharing, managing access, and grouping sensitive information for small businesses who are desperate for security in the world of agile development, high turnover and rotating clientele. Brian&rsquo;s product was a star. Therefore, it was natural for a high-growth data security company like Jungle Disk to court&nbsp;<a href="https://www.jungledisk.com/blog/2018/10/15/teampassword-ebook-chapter-1-close-business/">TeamPassword</a>. In March of 2018, the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180306005256/en">acquisition&nbsp;</a>was made.
As with any acquisition of a company, the transition from Baltimore to San Antonio included the expected challenges. Blending a newer company and its processes into an existing one can be difficult. Luckily, the vision of both companies&rsquo; leaders was similar enough to triumph the ups and downs of the acquisition. Both Brian and Bret Piatt, Jungle Disk CEO, are extremely passionate about improving the security of small businesses. Usually, only large companies had the luxury of investing in security and defending against cyber threats, but with the teaming up of Jungle Disk and TeamPassword, small businesses now have access to affordable and trustworthy&nbsp;<a href="https://www.jungledisk.com/blog/2018/08/30/why-use-team-password-manger/">cybersecurity solutions</a>.
If you use TeamPassword or Jungle Disk, here is the part you can get excited about! (If you&rsquo;re just learning about these brands, you can still get jazzed about our growth and progress). First, TeamPassword has grown in numbers since its acquisition. We now have a product manager, a UX designer and marketing team. The addition of a dedicated customer support team has brought us even closer to our valued customers. With our growing team, we&rsquo;ve been able to build a TeamPassword mobile app (more details on the app coming soon!) with all the awesome sharing features that differentiate our product. We&rsquo;ve also made it easier for people to transition from other password managers to ours with the addition of our LastPass Importer. As a result of the acquisition, business has grown 25%, and we plan on keeping up the momentum. We&rsquo;ve had a fantastic time in our new home of San Antonio, and we&rsquo;re excited to continue to tackle the problem of simply sharing sensitive information with team members in a secure way.
Thanks for joining us along the ride, and we look forward to many more successful years!

It’s TeamPassword ’s one year anniversary with Jungle Disk!

It’s TeamPassword ’s one year anniversary with Jungle Disk! On March 1, 2018, Brian Sierakowski decided to move ...

TeamPassword Celebrates a Year-Long Journey Through the Jungle

It’s TeamPassword ’s one year anniversary with Jungle Disk! On March 1, 2018, Brian Sierakowski decided to move TeamPassword from Baltimore to San Antonio to join the mission to help small businesses with cybersecurity.

Imagine that you receive an email from your work email provider requesting that you log in to review recent activity. You click on the button in the email and try to login to your account. The first login attempt oddly fails, but the second attempt works just fine and you&rsquo;re into your account.
You must have mistyped your password the first time, right?
The reality is that you may have just had your password stolen. The attacker sent an authentic-looking phishing email and the website that you initially reached as a fake. After you submitted your password, the attackers simply redirected you to the actual website to try again without knowing any better.
With these credentials in hand, the attacker can easily read through all of your work emails, reset passwords for other accounts, and wreak havoc on an enterprise network.
In this post, we will take a look at how to avoid these kinds of risks using a password manager and other best practices.
<h2 id="why-passwords-are-important">Why passwords are important</h2>
Passwords are still the default authentication mechanism for the web. Biometrics (e.g. fingerprints and facial recognition) have replaced some passwords and two-factor authentication has enhanced security, but almost every web application and most devices still require a password.
More than 80 percent of data breaches were caused by weak or stolen passwords, according to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ictsecuritymagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2017-Data-Breach-Investigations-Report.pdf">Verizon</a>. With a valid password in hand, attackers can leverage the user&rsquo;s account to gain access to their other accounts or even protected network resources. Passwords are often the weakest link in enterprise security.
Despite the importance of passwords, most people fail to develop secure passwords or even use different passwords for different accounts. Nearly one-fifth of Internet users create the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.statista.com/statistics/763091/us-use-of-same-online-passwords/">same password</a>&nbsp;for most of their accounts, while the average password was&nbsp;<a href="https://resources.infosecinstitute.com/beyond-password-length-complexity/">less than 10 characters</a>&nbsp;long.
<h2 id="what-makes-a-password-secure">What makes a password secure?</h2>
The difference between a weak password and a strong password comes down to the number and predictability of characters.
<hr />
<a href="https://mailchi.mp/jungledisk.com/guide-to-training-employees-on-cybersecurity" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Download our free guide to training employees on cybersecurity best practices, including password management.</a>
<hr />
The amount of time that it takes to break a password with a brute force attack depends exclusively on the number of possible combinations (e.g. password length). The password &ldquo;my awesome car is on fire&rdquo; is exponentially more difficult to crack than the password &ldquo;@y23k3!34&rdquo; for a computer.
<img src="https://cdn.buttercms.com/FLmMkxpaTfyxH4DwMq7u" alt="xckd-comic.png" />
Source: XKCD
Of course, some attackers attempt to guess passwords rather than crack them with software. They might look for public information, such as a pet&rsquo;s name, and guess the password. You shouldn&rsquo;t use passwords that contain pet&rsquo;s names, sports teams or predictable sequences for these reasons.
The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.passwordrandom.com/most-popular-passwords">most common passwords</a>&nbsp;tend to violate both of these rules &mdash; they are short and easy to guess. For example, some of the top 100 passwords include &ldquo;password&rdquo;, &ldquo;123456&rdquo;, &ldquo;qwerty&rdquo;, &ldquo;letmein&rdquo;, &ldquo;baseball&rdquo;, &ldquo;mustang&rdquo;, &ldquo;abc123&rdquo; and &ldquo;trustno1.&rdquo;
The most secure passwords are both lengthy and random &mdash; and that often means a password manager is necessary.
<h2 id="how-to-manage-your-passwords">How to manage your passwords</h2>
The problem with long random passwords is that they are difficult to remember. Even worse, the average person has&nbsp;<a href="https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/josephbernstein/survey-says-people-have-way-too-many-passwords-to-remember">nearly 30</a>&nbsp;discrete online logins. That&rsquo;s a lot of passwords to remember &mdash; especially if you don&rsquo;t use the same password multiple times!
Apple recognized these issues and built a password manager into its Keychain for iOS and MacOS devices, as well as an auto-suggest feature for passwords into Safari. Google Chrome introduced a similar password suggestion feature, and there are ways to store credentials securely in Windows.
The problem is that these passwords only exist in personal accounts. Many companies need to share passwords with multiple users and devices. Some password managers solve these issues by sharing passwords, but it&rsquo;s important to evaluate their features and security before choosing one.
Independent Security Evaluators (ISE)&nbsp;<a href="https://www.zdnet.com/article/critical-vulnerabilities-uncovered-in-popular-password-managers/">recently published</a>&nbsp;a scathing password manager assessment that found major vulnerabilities. In one case, the master password used to access a password manager was stored in PC RAM in plaintext, making it easily accessible to attackers!
<h2 id="how-teampassword-can-help">How TeamPassword can help</h2>
Most password managers are built for individuals. In some cases, password managers have expanded to target businesses, but few began with an initial focus on businesses. This means that they lack many of the features that businesses need on a day-to-day basis, such as the ability to manage access.
<a href="https://www.jungledisk.com/password-manager/">TeamPassword</a>&nbsp;was developed from the ground up with a focus on small business password management. Over the past several years, we&rsquo;ve talked with business customers to find out exactly what they need and built a solution that&rsquo;s ideal for them &mdash; all with AES 256-bit encryption.
Some core features include:
<ul>
<li>
Secure password generator:&nbsp;The built-in strong password generator creates secure, randomized passwords on-the-fly for private or shared logins.
</li>
<li>
Two-factor authentication:&nbsp;Google Authenticator provides a second layer of security to access stored passwords, while backup codes ensure you&rsquo;ll never get locked out.
</li>
<li>
Group management:&nbsp;Groups lets you quickly share logins and passwords with subsets of team members, external collaborators, or the entire team.
</li>
<li>
Browser extensions:&nbsp;Chrome, Firefox, and Safari extensions make it easy to access passwords in a quick and convenient way without having to retype them.
</li>
<li>
Account logging:&nbsp;TeamPassword&rsquo;s activity logs enable administrators to see who&rsquo;s using what passwords and when shared passwords are updated.
</li>
</ul>
If you&rsquo;re interested in trying TeamPassword,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.jungledisk.com/password-manager/">sign up</a>&nbsp;here!
<h2 id="how-to-train-employees">How to train employees</h2>
Password managers are just one step of ensuring password security. After all, they don&rsquo;t prevent a compromised password from being used to access protected resources. It&rsquo;s equally important to implement the right best practices and ensure that employees are properly trained.
<hr />
<a href="https://mailchi.mp/jungledisk.com/guide-to-training-employees-on-cybersecurity" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Don&rsquo;t forget to download our free guide to training employees on cybersecurity best practices, including password management.</a>
<hr />
Some best practices include:
<ul>
<li>
Train new users:&nbsp;Employees should be trained on how to properly use password managers. With TeamPassword, we automate a lot of the onboarding by&nbsp;<a href="https://www.jungledisk.com/blog/2018/08/24/teampassword-onboarding-new-employees/">walking them through</a>&nbsp;each step of the process.
</li>
<li>
Expire passwords:&nbsp;Passwords should be periodically changed in case they were unknowingly compromised. With TeamPassword, the process is a breeze since the new password can be updated organization-wide with a few clicks.
</li>
<li>
Other measures:&nbsp;All employee devices should have the proper antivirus and anti-malware installed to avoid attackers from gaining access to their computer, and therefore, the password manager.
</li>
</ul>
Employees should also be trained on how to spot and avoid viruses, malware and phishing attempts.
<h2 id="the-bottom-line">The Bottom Line</h2>
Passwords are a critical part of any company&rsquo;s cybersecurity plan. With more than 80 percent of data breaches arising from password issues, companies should invest in a password manager that both ensures that passwords are protected and makes it easy for employees to use them.
In addition, it&rsquo;s important to set up the proper protocols and training procedures to avoid common password attack vectors, such as phishing emails or malware.
If you&rsquo;re interested in trying TeamPassword with a 14-day free trial,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.teampassword.com/">sign up</a>&nbsp;here!

Imagine that you receive an email from your work email provider requesting that you log in to review recent activity. You click on the butto

Imagine that you receive an email from your work email provider requesting that you log in to review ...

How to Manage Your Small Business’ Passwords

Imagine that you receive an email from your work email provider requesting that you log in to review recent activity. You click on the button in the email and try to login to your account. The first login attempt oddly fails, but the second attempt works just fine and you’re ...

<h2 id="use-these-organizational-strategies-to-get-the-most-out-of-your-password-manager-">Use these organizational strategies to get the most out of your password manager.</h2>
Depending on the type and size of your business you will want to organize your password groups differently. The number of employees and their security-access levels will influence how you structure your TeamPassword account. Test out the strategies below to see which is the best match for your company.
<h2 id="method-1-group-passwords-by-client">Method 1: Group passwords by client</h2>
Every time you sign a new client, you&rsquo;ll create a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.jungledisk.com/blog/2018/08/03/teampassword-groups-feature/">new group&nbsp;</a>for that client in TeamPassword. You can add your whole client services team to that group or only add the people assigned to that client account &mdash; whatever works best for your agency. As with all of the methods covered in this post, you should also have groups for your internal passwords, just like any small business.
Works best for:&nbsp;Small-medium size agencies and businesses with 10-20 clients per account manager.
This approach also works well for clients who are particularly sensitive to who has access to their accounts. For example, if you have to create a &ldquo;silo&rdquo; to manage a client who competes with another client, structuring your passwords this way ensures that Pepsi&rsquo;s Twitter manager can&rsquo;t login and sabotage Coke&rsquo;s account.
Keep in mind:&nbsp;If you&rsquo;re signing many new clients, &nbsp;we suggest that you make this step part of your initial onboarding procedure. Add your new client to your TeamPassword account then ask them to add all of their login information. This way, you&rsquo;re sure to have the access you need, and your client&rsquo;s not wasting money on extra billable hours. &nbsp;
<h2 id="method-2-group-your-passwords-by-department">Method 2: Group your passwords by department</h2>
If you have teams of employees that work together in departments, and those employees don&rsquo;t bounce around from team to team often, this method could be right for you. You can just set up your password groups once, and add new client information as it comes in.
Works best for:&nbsp;Your classic B2B or SAAS companies with a functional organizational structure where employees similar skills work in teams and departments.
This method is super helpful for companies where employees work on distinct parts of the business and the tools they use are different, such as GitHub for the Development Team, Quickbooks for the Accounting Team, and SalesForce for HR. Structuring internal teams such as HR, Accounting, and Development will ensure everyone has access to the passwords they need and won&rsquo;t be bothered by the ones they don&rsquo;t.
Other departments this could be useful for: Development, Accounting, Marketing, Sales, Product, Account Management, HR, Finance, Customer Success, Support, Administration, Interns.
Keep in mind:&nbsp;Employees can be added to more than one team so those cross functional members, like a Project Manager, can have access to the passwords of Development and Customer Success tools.
<h2 id="method-3-group-passwords-by-function">Method 3: Group passwords by function</h2>
Organize your passwords by their function to have quick access to the tools you need to accomplish different tasks. Groups like Social (Facebook, Twitter), Productivity (Trello, Asana), Research (AdWords, SEMrush), Travel (Delta, United), and Retail (Amazon, Jet) can be advantageous when certain members of your team always handle the same jobs, like ordering snacks for the office. Divvying up passwords using this method also makes it easy to find function specific passwords.
Works best for:&nbsp;This grouping method works nicely paired with either of the other two methods. Employees can be added and removed as needed from these functional groups if they are, for example, booking a flight. Members can also stay in the group if they are always designated to the same task. This flexible method can fit into any password management system.
Keep in mind:&nbsp;Filtering passwords by group is easy using the group filter! For instance, if you are like us and have seven different wifi networks, having a group called &lsquo;Wifi&rsquo; makes signing into a new network effortless.
<h2 id="why-strategic-password-organization-matters-">Why strategic password organization matters:</h2>
Taking the time to think through and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.jungledisk.com/blog/2018/10/29/teampassword-ebook-chapter-3-maximize-collaboration/">set up a password management system</a>&nbsp;will save you time and stress down the road. Once you establish a login management system that works for your business, you can let the password details fade into the background, and focus on providing excellent services to your clients.
Get started with our&nbsp;<a href="https://www.jungledisk.com/password-manager/">FREE 14-day trial</a>&nbsp;to see how TeamPassword can help your company improve processes and get organized.

Learn these organizational strategies to get the most out of your password manager and maximize your team's productivity.

Depending on the type and size of your business you will want to organize your password groups differently. ...

3 Ways to Organize Your TeamPassword Account

Depending on the type and size of your business you will want to organize your password groups differently. The number of employees and their security-access levels will influence how you structure your TeamPassword account. Test out the strategies below to see which is the best match for your company.

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

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In an increasingly digital world, we&rsquo;re switching more and more of our daily lives over to the Internet. While this brave new world is exciting and convenient, it&rsquo;s not without its problems.&nbsp;
The issue of unsafe passwords has been around for a while. But have you ever thought about where and how to store them?
Most of us have several passwords, and we&rsquo;re encouraged to never duplicate them. Some people simply write them all down on a piece of paper &mdash; which is fraught with danger. But others store their passwords electronically.
As you&rsquo;re about to find out, not all electronic systems of password storage are <a href="https://teampassword.com/blog/the-best-ways-to-store-passwords-2023" target="_blank" rel="follow noopener">safe</a>. Here are five of the most dangerous ways to store your passwords.&nbsp;
But before we begin:
Avoid bad idea passwords and dangerous storage methods with TeamPassword. This advanced <a href="https://teampassword.com/blog/best-password-managers-for-teams" target="_blank" rel="follow noopener">password manager for teams</a> features a selection of security features, including password encryption and two-step verification. Sign up for a <a href="https://app.teampassword.com/signup" rel="follow noopener" target="_blank">free trial</a> today.&nbsp;
[Table of Contents]
<ul>
<li><a href="#email" rel="follow">Email</a></li>
<li><a href="#Documents" rel="follow">Online Documents</a></li>
<li><a href="#instantmessaging" rel="follow">Instant Messaging Service</a></li>
<li><a href="#onlinenotetaker" rel="follow">Online Note-taker</a></li>
<li><a href="#nonpasswordprotecteddevice" rel="follow">On a Non-Password-Protected Device</a></li>
</ul>

<h2 id="email">1. Email</h2>
<img src="https://cdn.buttercms.com/efPCc2QZQ7C0OT1KeoKe" alt="" width="655" height="88">
We've all been there: struggling to remember a new password and considering emailing it to ourselves for safekeeping. While it might seem convenient, emailing passwords is a terrible security practice with far-reaching consequences. Here's why:
<ul>
<li data-sourcepos="7:3-7:245">Unencrypted Transmission: Emails often travel in plain text, like postcards. Anyone with access to the data stream &ndash; hackers, scammers, or even compromised servers &ndash; could easily intercept the email and steal your password in its entirety.</li>
<li data-sourcepos="9:3-9:33">Multiple Vulnerable Points: Even if the email itself is encrypted, your password is exposed at several stages. It's stored on your device before sending, sits unencrypted on email servers during transit, and resides in your sent folder &ndash; all potential points of entry for attackers.</li>
<li data-sourcepos="11:3-11:248">Local Storage Risks: Many email platforms store data locally on your devices. If your computer, phone, or tablet is stolen or infected with malware, even deleted emails containing passwords might be recoverable, putting your accounts at risk.</li>
</ul>
The ease with which cybercriminals can exploit these vulnerabilities makes emailing passwords a high-stakes gamble. A stolen password could grant them access to your bank accounts, social media profiles, email itself, and more. The <a href="https://teampassword.com/blog/cybersecurity-complete-guide" rel="follow noopener" target="_blank">damage can be immense</a>, so why risk it for a temporary convenience?

<h2 id="Documents">2. Online Documents</h2>
<img src="https://cdn.buttercms.com/Hh6oH8AzTMSnQFUaPHR9" alt="" width="216" height="235">
A lot of people like the convenience of saving crucial information using online document systems such as Google Docs. But this is a bad idea for passwords, as these systems are designed for text &mdash; not sensitive data.
Yes, a password might protect your online document manager from unauthorized access. But what happens if that password is compromised? Many document software platforms don&rsquo;t offer encryption, two-step verification, or even the most basic security measures.&nbsp;
If you use online documents regularly, you&rsquo;re probably accessing your account on a regular basis &mdash; across several devices. What happens if you step away for a moment to buy a coffee, speak to a friend, or use the bathroom?
A criminal can access an unattended online document platform in seconds. And if this happens, it doesn't take a lot of effort to steal your unsafe passwords.&nbsp;
<h2 id="instantmessaging">3. Instant Messaging Service</h2>
Instant messaging (IM) services like WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, and Snapchat offer a convenient way to communicate, but they are not designed for securely storing passwords. While some IM platforms offer end-to-end encryption for message content, they lack crucial security features necessary for password management.
People who store their passwords on these apps do so because they believe they&rsquo;re fully encrypted. While that&rsquo;s often the case, it&rsquo;s important to remember that instant messaging services are often left open and operating in the background.
Imagine someone picks up your phone while you&rsquo;re not paying attention. If you left your device unlocked, that person would be able to access your password in seconds.
Here's why storing passwords on IM apps is a security risk:
<ul data-sourcepos="9:1-9:155">
<li data-sourcepos="9:1-9:155">Accessibility on Unlocked Devices: IM apps are designed to run in the background on unlocked devices. This means anyone with physical access to your unlocked phone or computer could potentially view your unencrypted passwords.</li>
<li data-sourcepos="10:1-10:164">Accidental Sharing: A single inadvertent tap or screenshot could send your password to someone unintended, compromising the security of your online accounts.</li>
<li data-sourcepos="11:1-12:0">Limited Security Features: Unlike dedicated password managers, IM applications typically lack features like secure password generation, two-factor authentication, and strong encryption specifically designed to protect passwords.</li>
</ul>
Dedicated password management applications offer robust security features like encryption, secure storage, and auto-fill functionality for logins.
<h2 id="onlinenotetaker">4. Online Note-taker</h2>
While online note-taking applications like Apple Notes offer a convenient platform for managing everyday tasks and reminders, they are demonstrably unsuitable for storing sensitive information, particularly passwords. These platforms, designed for general purpose note-taking, lack the robust security features essential for safeguarding confidential credentials.
Here's why online note-taking apps pose a significant security risk for passwords:
<ul>
<li data-sourcepos="9:3-9:314">Absence of Multi-Factor Authentication: Unlike dedicated password managers, these applications typically do not offer multi-factor authentication (MFA). MFA adds an extra layer of security by requiring a second verification step beyond a simple password, significantly hindering unauthorized access attempts.</li>
<li data-sourcepos="11:3-11:322">Limited Encryption Capabilities: While some note-taking applications may offer basic encryption features, they often fall short of the robust encryption protocols employed by dedicated password management solutions. This weaker encryption leaves sensitive data vulnerable to potential decryption by malicious actors.</li>
<li data-sourcepos="13:3-13:97">Accessibility on Unlocked Devices: Online note-taking apps are designed for ease of use and accessibility. This ease of access translates to a vulnerability. If a user's device remains unlocked and unattended, a perpetrator would only need to access the specific application to view unencrypted passwords.</li>
</ul>
In a world of increasingly sophisticated cyber threats, it is critical to prioritize robust security practices. Online note-taking applications simply do not provide the necessary safeguards for password management. Users are strongly advised to consider secure alternatives, such as dedicated password managers or offline password vaults, to ensure the confidentiality and integrity of their login credentials.
<h2 id="nonpasswordprotecteddevice">5. On a Non-Password-Protected Device</h2>
Of all the bad ideas for passwords, storing them on non-password-protected devices is about the worst. You might think that your tablet or laptop never leaves your side. But if your device is ever stolen, you&rsquo;ve given the criminals the easiest possible opportunity to access your saved passwords.&nbsp;
If you&rsquo;re determined to store passwords on a physical device &mdash; which is never a good idea &mdash; make sure the device password is a complex combination of letters, numbers, and symbols. And it should contain at least 12 characters.&nbsp;
<h2 data-sourcepos="7:1-7:6">Control Your Security and Choose Convenience with TeamPassword</h2>
<img src="https://cdn.buttercms.com/0gCOt5oQBCE1vxckmRZC" alt="The TeamPassword Extension for Chrome lets you sign into any account in seconds" width="828" height="466">
Our digital vault safeguards your passwords with industry-leading AES 256-bit encryption and ironclad two-step authentication. Stop wasting time remembering &ndash; TeamPassword empowers you with secure, one-click logins across all your devices.
<ul>
<li data-sourcepos="9:1-9:157">Divide passwords into groups to share with appropriate team members</li>
<li data-sourcepos="9:1-9:157">Enforce 2FA for all users</li>
<li data-sourcepos="9:1-9:157">View activity logs for all of your records</li>
<li data-sourcepos="9:1-9:157">Use the TeamPassword browser extensions and mobile apps for lightning-fast access everywhere</li>
<li data-sourcepos="9:1-9:157">Save money with affordable plans configured for YOU</li>
</ul>
Don't settle for password purgatory. Take control with TeamPassword. <a href="https://app.teampassword.com/signup" rel="follow noopener" target="_blank">Sign up for your FREE trial today</a> and experience the power of effortless security!

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

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

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