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

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

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

Have I Been Hacked? How to Know for Sure.

If you&rsquo;ve been keeping up with the news, you are more than aware that the internet is essentially the Wild West right now. Hackers and career criminals make a fortune exploiting computer users, and extort them for ransom, paid in bitcoin. Just like in the real world, criminals can attack at any time. But also just like in the real world, you can become more streetwise, gain some spacial awareness and make yourself safe when surfing and working on the web.
For most average people,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.jungledisk.com/blog/2018/04/23/what-makes-a-password-strong/">the weakest link in their security is simply their password</a>. In 2018, the phrase &ldquo;password&rdquo; is even a bit of a misnomer. It&rsquo;s much better and much safer to use passphrases. There are a few strategies to write good passphrases that I recommend. Start by choosing a few of your favorite things. For example, I will start with my favorite band, Guided by Voices. I will also use one of my favorite songs from them, like &ldquo;Echos Myron.&rdquo; Take some words from each of your sources, and mix it up with maybe some meaningful numbers to you.
Let&rsquo;s give it a shot:
VoicesJMY6ASMyron7988Liberty
This password is constructed of the third word from the name of the band, a license plate number for a car, the second word from the song title, part of a phone number, and a standout word from the song. Since you built this phrase yourself, you should be able to remember it easily, and you now have a 28-character password! Passphrases can be super powerful because it makes it very easy to remember a long string of characters that would make very little sense to anyone else but you. If you build all of your passphrases like this, your passwords will be nearly impossible for another human to guess. You can take it another step further by substituting letters or numbers for symbols. For example in the password above, you can replace all the &lsquo;i&rsquo; characters with the &lsquo;!&rsquo; symbol. This will break most of the dictionary words in your password making it even more impenetrable, while being just as easy to remember!
Also, our new password manager,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.jungledisk.com/blog/2018/03/06/jungle-disk-acquires-teampassword/">TeamPassword</a>, offers a password generation tool with options to specify password length and character sets. This makes it easy to generate and save secure passwords for any service you use. Additionally,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.jungledisk.com/blog/2018/07/11/did-you-meet-teampassword/">TeamPassword</a>&nbsp;encrypts all passwords with a master key that you set before sending them to their servers, so no one is able to read them unless they have your master key.
See how well that works? And it&rsquo;s easy. Go have some fun updating your passwords, and remember to change them frequently!

For most average people, the weakest link in their security is simply their password. It’s much better and much safer to use passphrases.

For most average people, the weakest link in their security is simply their password. In 2018, the phrase “password” ...

Let’s Talk About Password Complexity

For most average people, the weakest link in their security is simply their password. In 2018, the phrase “password” is even a bit of a misnomer. It’s much better and much safer to use passphrases.

Over the last few years, you&rsquo;ve probably heard all about the importance of using strong, unique passwords for your online accounts. But have you actually practiced doing so? Perhaps you aren&rsquo;t worried about a data breach or hackers targeting you, because they only go after big companies, right?
Wrong. Very wrong. In fact, cybercriminals target thousands of small businesses and individuals on a daily basis. But whether you&rsquo;re running a Fortune 500 company, a small business, or if you&rsquo;re an entrepreneur or a contractor working from a home office, there is one thing all cybersecurity experts recommend and agree on &mdash; using unique passwords for all online accounts.
A strong, unique password is an effective deterrent to cybercriminals, but unfortunately, many organizations still fail to encourage their use. The main hindrance is that it can be difficult to remember different strings of random letters and numbers for the multitude of accounts we all have. It&rsquo;s so much easier to simply use a few words or a phrase that&rsquo;s easy to remember, for each and every account.
But that is exactly what cybercriminals count on.
In this post, I will discuss the idea of "password strength" and what you can do to make your passwords more secure and easier to manage.
Table of Contents:
<ul>
<li dir="ltr" aria-level="1">
<a href="#whatmakesapasswordstrong" rel="follow">What Makes a Password Strong?</a>
</li>
<li dir="ltr" aria-level="1">
<a href="#4tipsforstrongpassword" rel="follow">4 Tips for Making a Strong Password</a>
</li>
<li dir="ltr" aria-level="1">
<a href="#avoidthesepasswordmistakes" rel="follow">Avoid These Password Mistakes</a>
</li>
<li dir="ltr" aria-level="1">
<a href="#keepstrongpasswordsecure" rel="follow">How to Keep Strong Passwords Secure</a>
</li>
</ul>
<h2 id="whatmakesapasswordstrong">What Makes a Password Strong?</h2>
A strong password is considered to be a string of at least 12 random upper and lowercase letters, numbers, and special characters such as a question mark. Many organizations now require you to create passwords conforming to these guidelines, which is good. However, they can't stop people from using that same password for multiple accounts, which is definitely not recommended.
<h3 dir="ltr">Password strength vs. password complexity</h3>
Let's start by talking about a couple of scenarios you have likely found yourself in:
<ul>
<li dir="ltr" aria-level="1">
You sign up for an account or change your password online, where the site gives you feedback regarding strength. Usually, it's symbolized by a line or dot that changes from red (weak), yellow (decent), and green (strong).
</li>
<li dir="ltr" aria-level="1">
You sign up for an online account or change your password on an account where a certain amount of complexity is required for a password to be accepted: minimum length, maximum length, special characters, capital letters, numbers, etc.
</li>
</ul>
So, when it comes to creating passwords, what do these terms, strength, and complexity mean?
There is some overlap between strength and complexity in passwords. A password like P@ssw0rd might meet the complexity requirements listed above, but it certainly isn't strong. You might ask yourself, "Why isn't that a strong password? Didn't it meet complexity requirements?"
The short answer is that while P@ssw0rd met some arbitrary complexity requirements, it isn't a strong password because it features the type of predictable substitutions that humans employ when trying to outsmart a computer. We&rsquo;ve used that exact password so much that computers know to try it (along with several hundred other common passwords) before anything else.
To better demonstrate the idea of password strength, I&rsquo;ll use an example from Gibson Research Corporation&rsquo;s <a href="https://www.grc.com/haystack.htm">&ldquo;Password Haystack&rdquo; tool</a>: Which of the following two passwords is stronger, more secure, and more difficult to crack?
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;D0g.....................
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;PrXyc.N(n4k77#L!eVdAfp9
It&rsquo;s a trick question. The first password is actually stronger, even though it contains a simple/common word like &lsquo;dog&rsquo; and uses predictable substitution. I believe this example serves as a great demonstration of how password strength differs from password complexity.&nbsp;
The first password is stronger for a couple of reasons:&nbsp;
<ol>
<li dir="ltr" aria-level="1">
It employs &ldquo;padding&rdquo; in the password (that&rsquo;s all of those periods at the end).
</li>
<li dir="ltr" aria-level="1">
It&rsquo;s one character longer than the second.
</li>
</ol>
Why? It&rsquo;s due to the idea of a password&rsquo;s &ldquo;search space,&rdquo; or the number of different combinations of passwords that can be created using different character sets and a password&rsquo;s length.&nbsp;
This number of different combinations is used to exemplify the number of &ldquo;attempts&rdquo; an attacker would have to make in order to crack that password; the more attempts needed, the better. It&rsquo;s important to note (as the Haystack tool points out) that the padding in the example padded password isn&rsquo;t great; it&rsquo;s repetitive and only at the end of the password.&nbsp;
In theory, the first password is more secure. But if this type of padding were to become common, attackers would likely include these types of variations in the dictionaries (lists of common passwords) they use when attempting to crack a password.
&nbsp;
<h3 dir="ltr">How does a password get hacked? What can you do to prevent that?</h3>
A strong password is the simplest yet most powerful tool against cyberattacks. It can thwart malicious access to your personal details and protect you from fraud and other devastating consequences of a data breach.
When it comes to preventing your passwords from being hacked, there are some things you can control and others you cannot. Let's start by exploring the things you cannot control.
<h4 dir="ltr">What you can't control</h4>
How online services store their users' passwords
Online services rarely tell you how they store your password. Even if they did, you aren&rsquo;t able to change it.&nbsp;
Hopefully, every online service you subscribe to uses a secure password hashing algorithm to obscure your password before they store it. There are many different approaches to hashing passwords; some are more secure than others, and an essential difference between algorithms is how fast or slow they are.
Ideally, your password is hashed using a robust, slow algorithm so that an attacker is constrained in the number of attempts per second/minute they are able to make.
This difference in speed is another reason why having a strong password is so important: if you take the time to generate a strong password (long, difficult to guess), it will take much longer for an attacker to guess your password correctly.&nbsp;
Unfortunately, some online services don't hash passwords at all, which means passwords are stored in plain text that can be read by anyone with access to the database where user information is stored, which leaves your password completely exposed if a malicious actor was able to get the contents of a service's passwords.
How an attack is executed
Hackers can employ various tools, strategies, and hardware in an attack. If an attacker can generate 10 thousand attempts per second, there is an extremely high likelihood that a hacker will crack a short but complex password in a reasonable amount of time.
Here&rsquo;s a real example: I used a random password generator to generate this password of 8 characters: 2xI5#%fX. This would be cracked in about 3 hours if an attacker were able to generate 10 thousand guesses per second. If I double the length of the password to 16 characters (t16qq*T4u*#^WtEg), it&rsquo;s estimated that it would take over 100 years to crack the password at 10 thousand attempts per second. 10 thousand attempts per second may seem like a lot, but if we&rsquo;re talking about an offline device, like your laptop, it&rsquo;s quite possible for an attacker with the right means.
<h3 dir="ltr">What you can control</h3>
How your passwords are generated and stored
<img src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/kPcD-ph37Lp_D9cBzfm641SJR49zd-nzRNU9bf_qYERhfzwvHk3UdjaMRoDuT5VR5YMRdDPJjUuGTg0DgwoJZK_K_pZ2ojqqE8duCf6Pm8FzMtu2BBDBOu1PHscUjTjEHpdtmaKKcLI-5pdZSwGBJ3s" width="624" height="247">
A good password manager will store passwords in an encrypted state and use a robust and secure algorithm to generate passwords for you. The combination of these two things is the most straightforward step you can take to improve your overall password strength and security. For example, our password manager, TeamPassword, offers a password generation tool with options to specify password length and character sets. TeamPassword makes it easy to generate and save secure passwords for any service you use. Additionally, TeamPassword encrypts all passwords with a "master key" (that you set) before sending them to their servers. No one can read them without your master key.
How passwords are shared within your business
<img src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/3b1HaJpdg6bCgPp9lUAncw1H7Hr6veCYgpiqGnUYnMdNiYAKi9j1sh71xGDVIFyJ8rdz5JmXsWqlJdik1f0ElA3bw5syZuIRxfc20RVvzQwCZIcVhAs_cvSrQymKvYju8luU6SYQy2oJ2hD0UvCKuco" width="334" height="260">
One common and insecure practice that I've seen companies employ is to keep a spreadsheet of passwords to company services that are shared with everyone in the company. It's dangerous because it lacks any granularity in who can see/use passwords in the company. This is another area where a password manager is desirable, as it can provide<a href="https://teampassword.com/blog/secure-password-sharing"> essential access controls</a> to company account passwords.
<h2 id="4tipsforstrongpassword">4 Tips for Making a Strong Password</h2>
<h3 dir="ltr">1. Use a Password Manager to Keep Track of your Passwords</h3>
<img src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/9gqIpgPwQuKxM5LAhaNxYzAoC24RcNSrqFcIs5LOhatiZlcpo472A2BqCEfX_RYAPDNClCvxCPVx7q3lx6YwigDrxGusnZ2uxjSEw1XhpX_-BWSawh6TemBiObrc0u5kg7lQiFs0us9RMaiVIhnHrws" width="412" height="262">
Creating and remembering unique passwords for all these accounts is difficult. This is where your password manager comes in handy. A tool like<a href="https://teampassword.com/"> TeamPassword</a> keeps track of all your passwords and manages access to the different sites and apps you use.
This software stores all log-in information for all sites and accounts you use and helps you log into them automatically. The software encrypts your password database with a master password which is the only one you need to remember.
<h3 dir="ltr">2. Use a Password Generator, or create a Passphrase</h3>
<img src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/42GcXutqEVLUiVFAcdhGJhYoWTyNCLLTFUEd_goJO5n0arjSnSQ9I5Ajm6D1eIQrV7lcPVyKWp76YbgkCZvK5UO6CwPVUsVAq_ydwq3YdamXzDf8v25F6V6_WEbJOzJ6SIpwYb_h0k_27y8phV45LIE" width="445" height="277">
The simplest way to create a strong password is to use a <a href="https://teampassword.com/password-generator">password generator</a>. However, consider creating a passphrase if you need to remember the password. Use a sequence of words that creates a funny and memorable image or are related to the product for which you&rsquo;re creating it.&nbsp;
Good passphrase:&nbsp;
<ul>
<li dir="ltr" aria-level="1">
frog-yellowish-stranger-Timestamp
</li>
</ul>
Even though this lacks a variety of character types, it clocks in at 33 characters which makes it an incredibly high-entropy password.&nbsp;
Bad passphrase:
<ul>
<li dir="ltr" aria-level="1">
the-windmills-of-your-mind
</li>
</ul>
Stay away from song lyrics, famous quotes, and phrases that make sense.&nbsp;
<h3 dir="ltr">3. Longer is Better: 12 Characters is a Starting Point</h3>
As we learned in the &ldquo;How an attack is executed&rdquo; section, simply doubling an 8-character password to 16 characters can easily 35x the amount of time it takes for a cybercriminal to crack your password.&nbsp;
We recommend using the longest password the service will allow. Since you&rsquo;re using a password manager and your passwords are conveniently auto-filled or copy-pasted, there&rsquo;s no reason not to go long.&nbsp;
<h3 dir="ltr">4. Use Two-factor Authentication (2FA)</h3>
<img src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/Xddjq43lhwTm0igWLehZzUi0WbcGXRLVYKEMtAheREOcLhJcmuCW259XGE8dVRbF9dDnOY40gOOEksfQ3a6db3BySOxRdOGiNOvgiDhrwNd650jpDUtUfu9cDLEXNjejxBdvV2Q3w9QsKs-LJFHR5sA" width="388" height="304">
Two-factor authentication (2FA) is one of the most sophisticated data security technologies. This security system requires two unique forms of identification to access an account.
Your password is the first security factor, and the second can be biometrics using your fingerprint, face, retina, a text with a code sent to your email/smartphone, or a code on an authenticator app on your phone. For high-security applications, you can set up physical keys such as Yubikey.&nbsp;
The unlikely will eventually happen. Servers get hacked. Your super-strong password may get compromised. 2FA provides a lot more security for a little extra effort.&nbsp;
<h2 id="avoidthesepasswordmistakes">Avoid These Password Mistakes</h2>
<h3 dir="ltr">Don&rsquo;t reuse passwords across accounts</h3>
Because there are things we cannot control, limiting the impact of a password being leaked or stolen is essential. The best way to defend against this possibility is to use a unique password for every service that requires a password. By never reusing a password, you limit the scope of impact that a single stolen password could have on your business.
In many cases, when a large group of passwords is stolen, they are leaked or sold online, and you can guarantee that some attackers will take that information and try it on more services than the one from which a hacker stole the password.
<h3 dir="ltr">Avoid Using Passwords Known to be Stolen</h3>
When in doubt, check the compromised password database <a href="https://haveibeenpwned.com/Passwords">haveibeenpwned</a>.
Words and phrases such as &ldquo;password,&rdquo; &ldquo;security&rdquo;, &ldquo;default&rdquo;, 123456789, QWERTY, abc123, will be hacked in seconds. The easiest password combinations are also the riskiest.
Look out for information on cybercriminal activity and data breaches to stay informed regarding your information. Unfortunately, hundreds of millions of people&rsquo;s account data is leaked annually.
<h3 dir="ltr">Don't store passwords where they can be discovered</h3>
Storing your passwords in spreadsheets, emails, messaging tools, or note-taking apps are just a few ways people expose themselves to cyberattacks. Avoid these<a href="https://teampassword.com/blog/top-5-dangerous-ways-to-store-your-passwords"> dangerous ways to store your passwords</a> and opt for an encrypted password management tool.
<h2 id="keepstrongpasswordsecure">How to Keep Strong Passwords Secure</h2>
Keeping individual and group-shared passwords secure can be a difficult task. Thankfully, password managers exist for this reason. Many businesses utilize a team password manager like TeamPassword as a fast, easy, and secure way for team members to share and access logins and passwords. We have a variety of<a href="https://teampassword.com/security"> password security features</a> that keep your data safe. Protect yourself with TeamPassword today - <a href="https://app.teampassword.com/dashboard#signup/testimonial">try us for free for 14 days</a>.&nbsp;

Discover how to create strong, unique passwords. Learn why it's crucial for businesses and individuals to adopt this practice and how to make it easier to manage. Protect yourself from cybercriminals with this essential guide to password strength.

Discover how to create strong, unique passwords. Learn why it's crucial for businesses and individuals to adopt this ...

How to Make a Strong Password (and Keep it Secure) | TeamPassword

How to Make a Strong Password (and Keep it Secure)

While there is no hard and fast rule, experts agree that it is best practice to change your passwords every 90 days. Yup, every 90. If the very thought of going through each and every one of your 127 passwords and updating them every 90 days makes you want to click off this article - don&rsquo;t.&nbsp;
With a little knowledge, this tedious task can be made easier and safer. We&rsquo;ll also share why it&rsquo;s an essential part of securing your accounts and that it's:
<ol>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Worth your time, and</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Not as overwhelming as it seems if you&rsquo;re using the right tools</li>
</ol>
Aside from learning to spot <a href="https://teampassword.com/blog/your-passwords-are-only-as-secure-as-your-teams" rel="follow noopener" target="_blank">social engineering attacks</a>, regularly changing your passwords is one of the easiest actions you can take to minimize the probability of being hacked.&nbsp;
[Table of Contents]
<ul>
<li><a href="#why" rel="follow">Why should I Change My Password?</a></li>
<li><a href="#specialoccurrences" rel="follow">Special Occurrences That Should Prompt a Password Change</a></li>
<li><a href="#how" rel="follow">How to change your passwords</a></li>
<li><a href="#what" rel="follow">What is a password manager?</a></li>
</ul>
<h2 id="why">Why Should I Change My Password?&nbsp;</h2>
Does changing my password really make a difference?&nbsp;
Statistics from 2019 found that over 1 million passwords are stolen every week, and that number has only increased during the pandemic. Today, there are over <a href="https://www.securitymagazine.com/articles/97825-24-billion-usernames-passwords-available-on-the-dark-web#:~:text=There%20are%20more%20than%2024,to%20new%20Digital%20Shadows%20research." rel="follow noopener" target="_blank">24 billion username and password combinations available on the dark web</a>.&nbsp;
Changing your passwords absolutely makes a difference in keeping your accounts safe, provided they&rsquo;re strong. Some stolen passwords are exploited right away, but others are leveraged months later. Changing your password could foil months of a cybercriminal&rsquo;s work, which may lead to them focusing their attention on lower-hanging fruit.
<h3>Are my accounts more secure the more I change my password?</h3>
Yes, and no. Provided you are using randomly generated or unique passwords of 12+ characters with symbols and numbers, then updating your most valuable accounts frequently absolutely keeps your accounts more secure.&nbsp;
Frequent, scheduled password changes are only an issue when the task is thrust upon an uneducated employee who hasn&rsquo;t been given the right tools for the job.
Most software solutions that mandate frequent password changes are rendered virtually useless by not giving the user the proper tools. People feel annoyed at being forced to change and memorize a new password, and often game the system, first adding a 1, then a !, then a 2 etc. I was certainly guilty of this at past jobs.&nbsp;
Requiring people to change their passwords without providing a password manager (more on this below) irritates people and does little to bolster your company&rsquo;s security.
Cybersecurity exists on a spectrum: convenient and frictionless on one end, and security on the other. In a perfect world you would change your password every day, but the cost/benefit analysis buckles when you realize that a program like <a href="https://www.zdnet.com/article/following-oldsmar-attack-fbi-warns-about-using-teamviewer-and-windows-7/" rel="follow noopener" target="_blank">TeamViewer can get hacked</a>, rendering a simple security measure such as a password useless.&nbsp;
Ultimately, a combination of new, complex passwords and a <a href="https://teampassword.com/blog/one-time-passwords-vs-two-factor-authentication" rel="follow noopener" target="_blank">second authentication factor</a> is the best we can do.&nbsp;
If your systems require the best available security, look into hardware keys such as Yubico, Google Titan, and Thetis.&nbsp;
<h2 id="specialoccurrences">Special Occurrences That Should Prompt a Password Change</h2>
In the realm of cybersecurity, certain events or circumstances necessitate an immediate password change to maintain the integrity of your accounts and sensitive information. Here are some scenarios that should prompt you to update your passwords:
<h3>1. Known Password Breach</h3>
If a service or platform you use has experienced a data breach, especially one involving user passwords, you should change your password for that account immediately. Breached passwords can be exposed to hackers, who might attempt to use them across multiple platforms.
<h3>2. Reused Passwords Across Accounts</h3>
If you've been using the same password for multiple accounts and one of those accounts becomes compromised, it's essential to change the password for all other accounts using the same credential. Cybercriminals often try credentials obtained from one breach on various platforms.
<h3>3. Sharing Passwords with Others</h3>
If you've shared a password with someone and their access is no longer necessary, change the password. Even if you trust the person, their device might be compromised or stolen, potentially leading to unauthorized access.
<h3>4. Employee Departure or Role Changes</h3>
In a business context, when an employee leaves the organization or changes roles, change their account passwords immediately. This prevents former employees from accessing sensitive data and systems, reducing the risk of insider threats.
<h3>5. Suspicious Account Activity</h3>
If you notice unfamiliar activity in your account, such as unauthorized logins, emails you didn't send, or changes to your account settings, it's a strong indication of a potential compromise. Change your password and review your account security settings.
<h3>6. No Longer Using an Account</h3>
If you've stopped using an account or service, it's best practice to change the password and then deactivate or delete the account altogether. Dormant accounts can be targeted by attackers, and maintaining unnecessary accounts increases your risk exposure.
<h3>7. Loss or Theft of Device</h3>
If you've lost a device (such as a smartphone or laptop) or it's been stolen, change the passwords for all accounts accessible from that device. This prevents unauthorized access by whoever gains possession of the device.
<h3>8. Updated Security Practices by the Service Provider</h3>
If the service provider or platform you use announces security improvements, such as implementing stronger encryption or enhanced authentication methods, consider changing your password to align with these enhanced security measures.
<h3>9. Phishing or Social Engineering Attacks</h3>
If you suspect that you've fallen victim to a phishing attack or have inadvertently shared your password through social engineering tactics, change your password immediately to prevent unauthorized access.
<h2 id="how">How to change your passwords</h2>
The most common reason people cite for not wanting to change passwords is the time required. It&rsquo;s a manual process, and right now, there&rsquo;s no way around that. But if you're not using a password manager, your vision of what the process looks like may be needlessly convoluted.
The unknown can be scary.
<img src="https://cdn.buttercms.com/kE8Uzu4ESfebb0whlxAV" alt="undefined" width="752" height="386">
With a password manager, updating passwords is as simple as:&nbsp;
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Navigate to the &ldquo;change password&rdquo; page of your account settings&nbsp;</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Click your browser extension. The extension will most likely have pulled up the appropriate record, but if not simply search for it&nbsp;</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Click &ldquo;edit&rdquo; in your password manager on the account you&rsquo;re updating</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Use the Password Generator to create a new, strong password</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Save the password in your manager and on your account</li>
</ul>
Change your passwords with a movie or music in the background! There&rsquo;s no reason it has to be all boring.&nbsp;&nbsp;
<h3>How to make strong passwords</h3>
If the account you&rsquo;re using allows for symbols, then generating a long, random string of symbols, digits, and letters is the easiest and safest option.&nbsp;
If you need to remember the password, try creating a passphrase. Passphrases are strings of words, with a few symbol and number substitutions, that are easy to remember but hard to guess. Part of the reason passphrases are effective is that when it comes to password strength, <a href="https://teampassword.com/blog/tips-and-tricks-to-create-a-strong-password" rel="follow noopener" target="_blank">longer is better</a>. Don&rsquo;t use song lyrics, lines from poems, or anything that can be found in a Google search.&nbsp;
<h3>What are bad passwords?</h3>
Every year, a few websites take the time to bemoan the state of password management by compiling the <a href="https://www.tomsguide.com/news/worst-passwords-2022" rel="follow noopener" target="_blank">worst passwords of the year</a>. The list typically looks much the same. These passwords can be cracked in less than a second by modern software, yet continue to be widely used.&nbsp;
Avoiding bad passwords is mostly common sense. If you use a password generator or take the time to create a 14+ character passphrase, you&rsquo;re probably good. The key is to avoid patterns and personal information.&nbsp;
If someone is choosing to target you, they will scour the internet and social media for personal information. Pet&rsquo;s names, birthdays, your first car&hellip;it&rsquo;s hard to remember everything you&rsquo;ve ever said on the internet. We recommend avoiding such personal information when building your password.
Here are a few that always make the worst passwords list:
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">123456</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">123456789</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">qwerty</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">password</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">12345</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">12345678</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">111111</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">1234567</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">123123</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">qwerty123</li>
</ul>
<h2 id="what">What is a password manager?</h2>
So far, I&rsquo;ve asseverated that a password manager is a critical tool in your mission for effective password hygiene. But what is its purpose?
In its most basic form, a password manager is a single vault that stores unique passwords for all your accounts. The benefit is that you only need to remember one master password to access the vault.&nbsp;
A good vault such as TeamPassword uses <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Client-side_encryption#:~:text=Client%2Dside%20encryption%20is%20the,as%20a%20cloud%20storage%20service." rel="follow noopener" target="_blank">Client-Side Encryption</a>, which means that even TeamPassword employees, or anyone with access to TeamPassword&rsquo;s database, cannot see your passwords. They also feature AES 256-bit encryption and security accreditations such as ISO 27001, SOC 1 and SOC 2, SSAE 16 and ISAE 3402.
The best vaults allow users to share passwords with team members - be they friends, family, or colleagues. With organizational tools like groups and different user settings, you can control who sees what without exposing your data.&nbsp;
<h3>Should I let my browser save my passwords?</h3>
While Chrome is working to make its password manager more secure, it does not provide enterprise level security or secure sharing.&nbsp;
Chrome is designed to be the most convenient browser on the market, and it succeeds. But if your Google account is breached, your passwords will be revealed. Most of us sync our Chrome profiles so that we can access bookmarks from anywhere. This works against us if one of our devices is stolen.
I won&rsquo;t claim that a real password manager is as convenient as letting your browser handle everything. As I said above, cybersecurity is often a tradeoff between easy and secure. However, if you need to share passwords with team members or family, then Chrome is definitely not the appropriate tool. A dedicated password manager built for sharing is both easier to use and safer.&nbsp;
<a href="https://teampassword.com/blog/how-to-disable-google-chrome-password-manager" rel="follow noopener" target="_blank">Here's a guide</a> on disabling your Chrome password manager.&nbsp;
<h3>How does a password manager work?&nbsp;</h3>
Let&rsquo;s start with what a password manager is not.&nbsp;
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Not a magical tool that automatically updates all your account passwords without you lifting a finger.&nbsp;</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Does not guarantee that you&rsquo;ll never be locked out of an account again - you could accidentally save different passwords between your password manager and the account you&rsquo;re trying to manage.&nbsp;</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Does not replace account settings or have administrative control over your accounts. That is, just changing your Instagram password in your password manager does not actually change your Instagram password. You still need to go to your Instagram account settings and make the change there.&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
What does it do?
By storing your sensitive credentials in a host-proof and locally encrypted vault, a password manager stores complex passwords for all your accounts while only requiring you to remember the master password that accesses your vault. Team plans let you safely share account credentials with your team without the credentials leaving an encrypted environment.
<h2>Is TeamPassword a good password manager?</h2>
TeamPassword is one of the best - especially for sharing passwords on teams.
TeamPassword exists so teams can effortlessly access the credentials they need&hellip;and only the credentials they need. Here are a few of the features that make this possible:
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Unlimited number of completely customizable groups such as Marketing, HR, and Billing</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Records can be part of multiple groups</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Admins grant or revoke access to each group with the click of a button</li>
</ul>
TeamPassword is designed so that your team will actually use it. The interface is simple and only shows you what you need. We integrate with Google SSO for seamless login into your vault.&nbsp;
<img src="https://cdn.buttercms.com/S5jNIC3TtuXldRHK5V4w" alt="undefined" width="511" height="418">
We offer a mobile app and extension so your records are accessible everywhere, all the time.
If you&rsquo;re looking for an affordable, easy-breezy to set-up password manager for your team, please <a href="https://app.teampassword.com/dashboard#signup/testimonial">sign up for our free trial</a> and let us know what you think.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Changing passwords can seem like a tedious task, but with the right technology, it can be easy! Learn how often it should be changed to stay secure.

Changing passwords can seem like a tedious task, but with the right technology, it can be easy! Learn ...

How Often Should You Change Your Password | Tips to Stay Secure

One of the long-term effects of the recent pandemic is <a href="https://www.digitalcommerce360.com/article/coronavirus-impact-online-retail/" rel="follow noopener" target="_blank" style="color: #40d8e3;">online holiday shopping</a> which increases the likelihood of a cyberattack. With the holiday season quickly approaching, staying safe when shopping online is essential. <a href="https://www.helpnetsecurity.com/2022/02/16/fraud-activity-level/" rel="follow noopener" target="_blank" style="color: #40d8e3;">Reports</a> show that online scamming is at an all-time high and there are no signs of a decline.
Let&rsquo;s imagine a few scenarios.
<ol>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">You get an email from Target saying they are offering gift cards and all you have to do is submit your card information, and boom, a free Target gift card.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">You receive a text alerting you about Dillard&rsquo;s online sale that is only available via their link so you can knock out some early Christmas shopping.&nbsp;</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">You get a pop-up ad from that one website you use to watch free movies offering free Visa cards.&nbsp;</li>
</ol>
You might think, &ldquo;Wow, this is too good to be true!&rdquo; And that&rsquo;s our first rule of thumb: if an offer is too good to be true, it&rsquo;s probably a scam.&nbsp;
Let&rsquo;s look at how scammers use the enthusiasm and good feelings of the holidays to deceive online shoppers.
<h2>Don&rsquo;t Open Unfamiliar Links</h2>
Phishing is a prevalent social engineering technique used by many malicious actors where they send fraudulent messages to trick victims into sending sensitive information like passwords or credit card information. These messages often come in the form of text messages or emails.&nbsp;
Here are a few ways to check if you are a victim of a phishing attack:
<h3>Check the sender&nbsp;</h3>
Circling back to the scenario used in the beginning, if you get an email from a company like Target, you should first check the email's sender. Being a Target shopper, I get tons of emails about sales and deals. I can tell you, Target&rsquo;s official email is targetnews@em.target.com.
Malicious actors create emails similar to official business emails to make it seem legitimate. For example, they might use target@targetnews.com or marketing@targett.com.
Look for spelling or grammatical errors. If you&rsquo;re still not sure whether it&rsquo;s real, do a quick search for it on the web, check the company&rsquo;s website, or reach out the company directly to verify its authenticity.
You can also verify company phone numbers, which aren&rsquo;t as easy to identify as emails. Simply type the number into Google to see whether the number is connected to the company.
<h3>Check the Link</h3>
Most scam sites have spelling errors, and many are ridiculously long. Those are easy giveaways.
<h3>Does the Link Text Match the Site?</h3>
Some cybercriminals may show a different website than what the link will take you to. Hover over the link or copy and paste it into a browser instead of clicking the link. That way, you can see and review the actual link before being brought to it.&nbsp;
<h3>Is the Site Encrypted?</h3>
It&rsquo;s also wise to note if the site is encrypted. To tell whether the site is encrypted or not, look at the search bar where the URL is written.
<img src="https://cdn.buttercms.com/RmzRIkTfSCij3bw8khS1" alt="undefined" width="726" height="72" />
Do you notice how the site has the padlock and an &ldquo;HTTPS&rdquo; address? That tells you that the site is encrypted. This means that any data you transmit to the site, be it your login information or credit card number, is protected from third parties. It will stay between you and the operators of the website.&nbsp;
If you encounter a website that isn&rsquo;t encrypted, the connection is not secure, which means the information you transmit could be intercepted by a third party. Find another site to shop from.
Unfortunately, this doesn&rsquo;t guarantee that every site with a padlock and HTTPS address is safe. As <a href="https://www.kaspersky.com/blog/https-does-not-mean-safe/20725/" rel="follow noopener" target="_blank">Kasperksy</a> makes note, &ldquo;... the green lock and the issued certificate say nothing about the site itself. A phishing page can just as readily get a certificate and encrypt all traffic that flows between you and it.&rdquo;
So, while it&rsquo;s important to only shop on encrypted sites, you cannot rely solely on the encryption indicators as a signal of what is safe and what isn&rsquo;t.&nbsp;
<h2>An Example of How to Dissect a Phishing Text</h2>
Let&rsquo;s dissect this text I received and the steps I used to conclude it was fake:
<img src="https://cdn.buttercms.com/PPY8DpLvTo2HZkgRt7x8" alt="undefined" width="418" height="318" />
First: I Googled the number, and no information regarding a company came up. That troubled me.
Second: I noticed that the link looked suspicious.&nbsp;
When receiving a text or email with a link, whether it be a &ldquo;package not delivered&rdquo; or a &ldquo;black Friday sale&rdquo; link, if the URL looks suspicious, it probably is. The URL in the text message above shows no indication of what company I could be receiving a package from.&nbsp;
Third: The text has awful grammar. Think about it, businesses invest heavily in marketing. Are they likely to overlook glaring grammatical errors? Probably not.
Four: Contextualize the message you are receiving. I wasn&rsquo;t expecting a package, so the message was out of place.&nbsp;
Five: Off to the junk folder it went!
<h2>Don&rsquo;t Purchase from Suspicious Sites</h2>
What if you find yourself on a website you&rsquo;ve never heard of before? Maybe they&rsquo;re offering the best deal, or you believe you're supporting a local business. Hold on! You&rsquo;ll want to check a few things before trusting them with your address and credit card.&nbsp;
<h3>Check the Reviews</h3>
Checking reviews is a crucial part of identifying scam websites. Many scam websites will have fake reviews. Often, there will be multiple reviews posted simultaneously with the same keywords.&nbsp;
On the contrary, a legitimate company will have a variety of reviews. <a href="https://www.fakespot.com/" rel="follow noopener" target="_blank" style="color: #40d8e3;">FakeSpot</a> is a great tool that uses AI to calculate whether or not a product has fake or legit reviews.&nbsp;
Another trick is to search Reddit for the website to see if anyone has reported a bad experience. Treat these with a grain of salt, however, as a malicious website creator could use various accounts to respond to a Reddit question, making their website seem legit.
<h3>Check Copyright Information&nbsp;</h3>
A legitimate site will have updated copyright and contact information. This is crucial because if the company has no contact details, what do you do if you have an issue with the product? <a href="https://smallbusiness.chron.com/copyright-laws-important-52601.html" rel="follow noopener" target="_blank">Copyright</a> helps identify the owner of a company or product. Most websites host their copyright information at the bottom of the home page.&nbsp;
<img src="https://cdn.buttercms.com/FzgrVkM2TaWNqLylyUTk" width="539" height="47" />
<h2>Use A Password Manager</h2>
If you have online accounts that require logins, you should use a password manager.&nbsp;
A password manager prevents your accounts from getting hacked by safely securing your logins. <a href="https://app.teampassword.com/dashboard#signup/features" rel="follow noopener" target="_blank" style="color: #40d8e3;">TeamPassword</a> is an easy-to-use password manager for teams. Every user on the account has the option to keep private records, like their personal Amazon account information. Team admins can also create groups to share logins with multiple users, making access to team accounts a breeze.
I've accumulated hundreds of accounts over the years. A password manager allows me to have unique, strong passwords for each account while eliminating the impossible task of remembering those unique passwords that may only get used once or twice a year.
<h2>Creating Unique Strong Passwords</h2>
Creating a strong password is simple, especially with a <a href="https://teampassword.com/password-generator" rel="follow noopener" target="_blank">password generator</a>. But remembering those passwords is another thing. While using the same password for multiple accounts is tempting, it&rsquo;s important not to. If a malicious actor were to get access to one account, gaining access to the rest would be much easier.&nbsp;
If password generators aren&rsquo;t your thing, try using a <a href="https://teampassword.com/blog/how-to-build-a-passphrase" rel="follow noopener" target="_blank" style="color: #40d8e3;">passphrase</a> instead. Simply put, a passphrase is similar to a password but uses more characters from memorable items for increased security. Here are a few examples of what passphrases can look like.&nbsp;
It could be random: A11ig@torsWithRed$weaters
Or it could be of one of your interests: R3*dingCl*ssicLit3r*ture_
They pretty much look like censored curse words. But, since I built these phrases myself, I'll be able to remember them quickly. And just like that, I now have two 25-character passwords!
<h1>In Conclusion</h1>
The bottom line is that scammers aren&rsquo;t going anywhere. It&rsquo;s up to us to follow protocols that will keep us safe online. Take the time to check that those good deals are legit, use a password manager, and only click on links from expected, verified emails and messages.
If we can all follow these simple cybersecurity practices, we can all shop with a little more peace of mind come Cyber Monday.&nbsp;

Follow these simple cybersecurity tips to shop with a little more peace of mind this Black Friday and Cyber Monday.

Follow these simple cybersecurity tips to shop with a little more peace of mind this Black Friday and ...

How to Avoid Black Friday and Cyber Monday Scams

<h2>What is a Master Password?</h2>
A master password is a single password that acts as a gateway to multiple accounts and platforms. The term "master password" is typically used in the context of password managers.
If you're using a password manager, then technically, you only need to remember one set of credentials - the&nbsp;master password - to log into your password manager.
For example, TeamPassword stores your credentials and then logs you into your accounts using one of our browser extensions (Chrome, Firefox, Safari)&mdash;similar to <a href="https://teampassword.com/blog/how-to-save-passwords-in-chrome-and-alternatives">saving passwords in Chrome</a> and other browsers.
Once you're logged into TeamPassword using your master password, the password manager does the rest. You never have to remember your credentials.

<h2>How to Create a Secure Master Password?</h2>
The simplest way to create a strong password is to use a&nbsp;<a href="https://teampassword.com/password-generator">password generator</a>. Use 16+ random upper and lowercase letters, numbers, and special characters, and never reuse the password elsewhere.
However, consider creating a passphrase if you need to remember the password. Use a sequence of words that creates a funny and memorable image, or use words related to the application it'll be used for.&nbsp;
Good passphrase:&nbsp;
<ul>
<li dir="ltr" role="presentation">frog-yellowish-stranger-Timestamp</li>
</ul>
Even though this lacks a variety of character types, it clocks in at 33 characters which makes it an incredibly high-entropy password. Plus, it does have dash symbols and one uppercase letter.&nbsp;
Bad passphrase:
<ul>
<li dir="ltr" role="presentation">the-windmills-of-your-mind</li>
</ul>
Stay away from song lyrics, famous quotes, and phrases that make sense.
If you'd like an in-depth explanation, check out our article dedicated to <a href="https://teampassword.com/blog/tips-and-tricks-to-create-a-strong-password" rel="follow noopener" target="_blank">How to Make a Strong Password</a>. &rlm;&rlm;&lrm; &lrm;

<h2>What is the Master Password Algorithm?</h2>
Maarten Billemont designed the Master Password algorithm in 2012 as an alternative for traditional password management tools. Instead of storing passwords, the Password Manager algorithm recreates users' credentials each time they log in.
The idea behind Master Password is that if you don't store credentials, then criminals can't steal your passwords if they hack your network or device.
For Master Password to be effective, you must turn off device and browser password-saving features, so your credentials are never stored anywhere.
It's important to note that Master Password is currently undergoing an overhaul and will be switching to a revised version (Spectre), which is currently in beta testing.
&rlm;&rlm;&lrm; &lrm;
<h2>How Does the Master Password Algorithm Work?</h2>
The Master Password algorithm works a little like a calculator. You enter a series of parameters (including your name, master password, and site/app you're logging into), and Master Password calculates your password.
The Master Password app also takes a counter, which starts at 1 by default. The counter allows you to change your password. Every time you change a password, the counter increments by 1.&nbsp;
For example, you create a password for Instagram; the initial counter is 1 when you reset your Instagram password, the counter changes to 2.
You copy/paste the password into the password field for the login form, and you're done! The process works the same for creating passwords and logging into accounts.
The only parameter you need to memorize to calculate a password is your master password. Everyone should know their name, and the account is easy to remember because it appears in the address bar or app header.
&rlm;&rlm;&lrm; &lrm;
<h2>Master Password Algorithm Example</h2>
Here is an example for creating or logging into a Facebook account for John Doe using the Master Password algorithm.
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Name: John Doe</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Master password: secret password phase</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Account: facebook.com</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Counter: 1</li>
</ul>
You enter these three parameters, and the Master Password app produces a password: tX0!tX7~qZ3!vO. Every time you enter those same parameters, Master Password will create the exact same password.
John Doe x secret password phrase x facebook.com x 1 = tX0!tX7~qZ3!vO
Rather than storing your password, Master Password calculates a result based on the parameters you enter. The master password always stays the same; only the name and account parameters change.
If you need to change your password, you increment the counter, and Master Password creates a new unique password.&nbsp;
Password change example for the same Facebook account:
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Name: John Doe</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Master password: secret password phase</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Account: facebook.com</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Counter: 2</li>
</ul>
John Doe x secret password phrase x facebook.com x 2 = hS7}oD3:pO8^uI
For future logins, you have to remember your counter is 2 and no longer 1. The counter is the Master Password's biggest flaw! It can be difficult for people who have many accounts to remember what counter you're on for each one.
For example, your Twitter account might be on 4, Facebook on 7, Instagram on 1, and LinkedIn on 3. Keeping track of your counters could get overwhelming and confusing.
A user asked this question on Master Password's community, and the answer was: "To recover a lost non-default counter, just increment the counter and try the password on the site until you succeed."
The problem with this solution is that most websites and applications block your account after a certain number of failed attempts to prevent brute force attacks.
&rlm;&rlm;&lrm; &lrm;
<h2>What Apps Apply the Master Password Algorithm?</h2>
Maarten Billemont has made the Master Password algorithm free under the GPLv3 license. Meaning, anyone can run, study, share and modify the code. So, there are possibly many individuals and businesses using the technology privately.
There are two commercially available Master Password algorithm apps:
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Master Password</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Spectre</li>
</ul>
&rlm;&rlm;&lrm; &lrm;
<h2>Pros and Cons of Master Password Algorithm &amp; Who is it For?</h2>
Pros of Master Password algorithm:
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">There is zero chance of criminals stealing account credentials from your device, including if your device is lost or stolen</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">You only need one master password</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">The code is free to use so that anyone can develop a Master Password app</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">You create unique passwords for every account</li>
</ul>
Cons of Master Password algorithm:
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">The Master Password only works for personal use. No way to <a href="https://teampassword.com/blog/how-to-safely-share-passwords-with-coworkers">share credentials with coworkers</a></li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Recalling passwords is slow&mdash;you have to open Master Password separately, enter the parameters, and then copy/paste the password.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Changing passwords means you have to change your counter. If you have lots of accounts (which most people do), you have to remember the counter for each one. If your accounts are all on a different counter, things can get very confusing. The only solution is to reset your password, resulting in another counter increment to remember!</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">If someone manages to steal your master password&mdash;through a spear-phishing attack, scam, or other means, they can download Master Password and calculate your passwords. </li>
</ul>
With these pros and cons in mind, using Master Password-based apps makes sense for personal use or companies that don't share the same credentials.
Even then, Master Password's counter flaw can create issues that could lead to time wasted figuring out which counter you're on or resetting passwords.
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<h2>TeamPassword: A Better Password Management Solution</h2>
<a href="https://app.teampassword.com/signup" rel="follow noopener" target="_blank">TeamPassword is a robust password management solution</a> for teams to share credentials securely. Passwords are hashed, salted, and encrypted locally on your computer and then transmitted via an encrypted connection to the TeamPassword server.
This password storage method means you can never preview passwords (prevents unauthorized sharing), and not even TeamPassword can retrieve your credentials.
TeamPassword is a secure hosting provider with multiple security accreditations and uses state-of-the-art encryption technology.
<h3>Secure and Easy Credential Sharing</h3>
Unlike Master Password, TeamPassword lets you share credentials with employees, freelancers, and clients.&nbsp;
Here's how easy it is to share passwords in TeamPassword:
<ol>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Create a TeamPassword account for your business&mdash;we offer a <a href="https://app.teampassword.com/signup" rel="follow noopener" target="_blank">14-day free trial</a> ;)</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Add your passwords to TeamPassword&mdash;we recommend resetting your passwords when moving to TeamPassword using our built-in <a href="https://teampassword.com/password-generator">secure password generator</a>.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Provide each team member with a TeamPassword login</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Create groups for your various accounts and add only the team members who need access&mdash;for example, a "Social Media Group" will have all your social media accounts, and only the social media or marketing team will have access</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Revoke access for any team member with a few clicks</li>
</ol>
If you need to change a password, simply use the built-in password generator, and TeamPassword automatically updates the new credentials for all users. No need to inform anyone or share the new password.
<h3>Features to Prevent Breaches</h3>
Each team member can protect their <a href="https://teampassword.com/blog/password-manager-with-2fa">TeamPassword account with two-factor authentication (2FA)</a>&mdash;we use Google Authenticator and Authy available on iOS and Android.
With 2FA, even if attackers steal a team member's TeamPassword credentials, they can't log in without the second authentication step.
In the unlikely event that someone does breach your TeamPassword account, attackers have no way to preview or export your company's stored credentials.
<h3>Keeping Track of TeamPassword Activity</h3>
Another feature Master Password lacks is activity tracking and email notifications&mdash;crucial for reacting fast to suspicious activity!
TeamPassword's activity log keeps track of every action, including logins, sharing, password resets, new team members, and more. You can also set up email notifications for TeamPassword actions for instant alerts.
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<h2>More Master Password Alternatives</h2>
At TeamPassword, we're confident that we have the most secure and user-friendly password manager, so we don't mind sharing some of our competitors.
<ul>
<li aria-level="1"><a href="https://teampassword.com/blog/1password-alternatives" rel="follow noopener" target="_blank">1Password</a> - An effective password management solution. Limited customer support.&nbsp;</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><a href="https://teampassword.com/blog/category/review" rel="follow noopener" target="_blank">LastPass</a> - If you're not tech-savvy, LastPass can be difficult to learn. Additionally, LastPass <a href="https://krebsonsecurity.com/2023/09/experts-fear-crooks-are-cracking-keys-stolen-in-lastpass-breach/" rel="follow noopener" target="_blank">suffered a series of concerning breaches</a>. Security experts do not recommend them.&nbsp;</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><a href="https://teampassword.com/blog/dashlane-alternatives" rel="follow noopener" target="_blank">DashLane</a> is one of the most popular password managers for personal and family use and one of the most expensive.&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
TeamPassword has no limits on the number of passwords or accounts you can store!
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<h2>Try TeamPassword for Free</h2>
The only master password you need is for your TeamPassword account!
Test our Groups and Sharing feature with your team members to experience the convenience of secure password sharing with TeamPassword. <a href="https://app.teampassword.com/dashboard#signup/testimonial">Sign up for a 14-day free trial today</a>!

What is a master password, and why do you need a password manager? How can you protect your credentials from cybercriminals? | TeamPassword

What is a master password, and why do you need a password manager? How can you protect your ...

What is a Master Password and Do I Need One?

What is a Master Password?

With the ever-changing landscape of internet-based accounts, creating and managing passwords has become a tedious task that no one enjoys undertaking. You&rsquo;ll spend minutes thinking of a unique password that no one will guess, yet you&rsquo;ll immediately be able to recall it when needed. Minutes go by and you&rsquo;ve done it. You&rsquo;ve created a password that includes four alpha characters, three numbers in the 0-9 range&nbsp;and&nbsp;a special character. You&rsquo;re free to update your account passwords now, right? Let&rsquo;s play a game&hellip;
Which password is hard to crack? &ldquo;Password&rdquo; or &ldquo;P@55w0rd&rdquo;?
The answer: neither.
Both of these passwords can be cracked in a few seconds (if even that long) using your average computer. It&rsquo;s not just about complexity when it comes to building a secure password. The longevity of your passwords also helps develop its strength, ergo increasing the amount of time it&rsquo;ll take to crack it.
<h2>Password Managers</h2>
Password managers such as&nbsp;<a href="https://www.teampassword.com/">Team Password</a>, LastPass and 1Password take care of the hard work for you. You supply these managers with your password requirements and they can generate and save a random password for you. You can create longer, more complex passwords without needing to remember them.
The good and the bad with regard to password managers is that you only need to remember one password; the one you use to authenticate in the password manager.
<h2>Creating your password</h2>
When using a password manager, you&rsquo;re asked to create a master password, which is the only password that you will need to commit to memory. Opt for a passphrase versus a password. Passphrases are just as easy to remember, but are typically longer which help strengthen it. An example of a passphrase would be &ldquo;This!sMySupperL0ngP@asswordTh@tN013lseh4s&rdquo; (don&rsquo;t use this; this is just an example). Do not reuse this password for any other account that you have. Also, be sure to enable multifactor&nbsp;<a href="https://www.jungledisk.com/blog/2016/11/08/identity-authentication-beyondcorp-cyber-talk-radio-episode-7/">authentication</a>. This adds a layer of security and makes it even more difficult for someone to obtain unauthorized access to your account.
<h2>Conclusion</h2>
Password complexity isn&rsquo;t the only factor when creating a strong password. Ensure your complex passwords are 12 characters or longer. Using a password manager allows you to take advantage of stretching the password length as well as randomly generating more complex passwords.

Which password is hard to crack? “Password” or “P@55w0rd”? Neither.

With the ever-changing landscape of internet-based accounts, creating and managing passwords has become a tedious task that no ...

Password or P@55w0rd?

With the ever-changing landscape of internet-based accounts, creating and managing passwords has become a tedious task that no one enjoys undertaking. You’ll spend minutes thinking of a unique password that no one will guess, yet you’ll immediately be able to recall it when needed.

In an increasingly digital world, we&rsquo;re switching more and more of our daily lives over to the Internet. While this brave new world is exciting and convenient, it&rsquo;s not without its problems.&nbsp;
The issue of unsafe passwords has been around for a while. But have you ever thought about where and how to store them?
Most of us have several passwords, and we&rsquo;re encouraged to never duplicate them. Some people simply write them all down on a piece of paper &mdash; which is fraught with danger. But others store their passwords electronically.
As you&rsquo;re about to find out, not all electronic systems of password storage are <a href="https://www.teampassword.com/blog/10-things-you-need-to-do-to-keep-passwords-safe" target="_blank" rel="noopener">safe</a>. Here are five of the most dangerous ways to store your passwords.&nbsp;
But before we begin:
Avoid bad idea passwords and dangerous storage methods with TeamPassword. This advanced <a href="https://www.teampassword.com/blog/why-you-need-a-password-manager" target="_blank" rel="noopener">password manager</a> features a selection of security features, including password encryption and two-step verification. Sign up for a <a href="https://app.teampassword.com/dashboard#signup/testimonial" rel="follow">free trial</a> today.&nbsp;

<h2>1. Email</h2>
Have you ever emailed yourself a password to ensure you&rsquo;re never without it? Great idea, right? Actually, emailing yourself your passwords is a really bad idea, and here&rsquo;s why:
<ul>
<li>Emails are usually sent in plain text. Without encryption, your passwords are susceptible if your email account is ever compromised.&nbsp;</li>
<li>Unsafe passwords sent via email often pass through several systems and servers. There&rsquo;ll also be a copy in your sent folder. If someone else can access your email account, your passwords become vulnerable.&nbsp;</li>
<li>Some email platforms store data locally on a drive. If someone steals your computer, phone, or tablet, your passwords become vulnerable.</li>
</ul>
A really bad idea for passwords is to send them via email &mdash; either to yourself or someone else. <a href="https://www.teampassword.com/blog/have-i-been-hacked-how-to-know-for-sure" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Hackers </a>and scammers are more resourceful than ever, and they can often steal your information before you realize you&rsquo;ve been compromised.&nbsp;
It&rsquo;s tempting to send a quick email to yourself containing unsafe passwords when you sign up for new online services. For the sake of an extra minute or two, don&rsquo;t give fraudsters easy access to your accounts. Use an encrypted email vault to safeguard all your passwords.&nbsp;
<h2>2. Online Documents</h2>
A lot of people like the convenience of saving crucial information using online document systems such as Google Docs. But this is a bad idea for passwords, as these systems are designed for text &mdash; not sensitive data.
Yes, a password might protect your online document manager from unauthorized access. But what happens if that password is compromised? Many document software platforms don&rsquo;t offer encryption, two-step verification, or even the most basic security measures.&nbsp;
If you use online documents regularly, you&rsquo;re probably accessing your account on a regular basis &mdash; across several devices. What happens if you step away for a moment to buy a coffee, speak to a friend, or use the bathroom?
A criminal can access an unattended online document platform in seconds. And if this happens, it doesn't take a lot of effort to steal your unsafe passwords.&nbsp;
<h2>3. Instant Messaging Service</h2>
Instant messaging services provide us with a convenient way of staying in touch with friends and family. WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, and Snapchat were designed for private online conversations &mdash; not for storing passwords.
People who store their passwords on these apps do so because they believe they&rsquo;re fully encrypted. While that&rsquo;s often the case, it&rsquo;s important to remember that instant messaging services are often left open and operating in the background.
Imagine someone picks up your phone while you&rsquo;re not paying attention. If you left your device unlocked, that person would be able to access your password in seconds.
It&rsquo;s always a bad idea when passwords are stored on instant messaging services. By nature, these apps are designed to operate in the background &mdash; alerting you when someone sends a message. And because they&rsquo;re open, anyone with the device in their hand might be able to steal your unprotected passwords.&nbsp;
Don&rsquo;t fall into the trap of utilizing bad ideas for password storage. Sign up for a <a href="https://app.teampassword.com/dashboard#signup/testimonial" target="_blank" rel="noopener">free trial</a> with TeamPassword, and give your unsafe passwords the protection they require.
<h2>4. Online Note-taker</h2>
Developers design online note-takers for everyday lists and reminders. While they&rsquo;re great for creating to-do and shopping lists, they&rsquo;re not so good for storing unsafe passwords.&nbsp;
An app such as Apple Notes is easy to use, accessible, and convenient. But it doesn&rsquo;t offer two-step authentication, encryption, or any sophisticated form of security.&nbsp;
If your computer or mobile device is unlocked, your saved passwords are vulnerable. In many cases, a criminal would simply need to open the app to gain access to your sensitive information.&nbsp;
OK, you might be extra vigilant when it comes to keeping your phone or computer locked. But hackers are resourceful, and they&rsquo;re very good at discovering unsafe passwords. Once they access your phone, any passwords stored in your note-taking app become vulnerable.&nbsp;
<h2>5. On a Non-Password-Protected Device</h2>
Of all the bad ideas for passwords, storing them on non-password-protected devices is about the worst. You might think that your tablet or laptop never leaves your side. But if your device is ever stolen, you&rsquo;ve given the criminals the easiest possible opportunity to access your saved passwords.&nbsp;
If you&rsquo;re determined to store passwords on a physical device &mdash; which is never a good idea &mdash; make sure the device password is a complex combination of letters, numbers, and symbols. And it should contain at least 12 characters.&nbsp;
<h2>Use TeamPassword for Extra Protection</h2>
Remembering and safely storing a dozen or more passwords isn&rsquo;t a simple task. By locking away all your passwords in a digital vault, you get maximum protection and easy access.&nbsp;
TeamPassword offers a range of <a href="https://www.teampassword.com/security" target="_blank" rel="noopener">security features</a> &mdash; designed to keep your passwords safe. Offering two-step authentication and encryption, this powerful protection system solves the problem of unsafe passwords with ease. Sign up for a <a href="https://app.teampassword.com/dashboard#signup/testimonial" target="_blank" rel="noopener">free trial</a> to see these exciting features for yourself.&nbsp;

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

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

Top 5 Dangerous Ways to Store Your Passwords

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

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

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

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

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