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

Password managers are an effective way to generate, store, use, and even share strong, random passwords securely. They allow users to create and store unique and difficult to guess passwords for every account by removing the need to remember them. This is done using password generators and AES 256 encryption, along with a variety of other features that help users track how their passwords are being used.&nbsp;
[Table of Contents]
<ul>
<li><a href="#whatdo" rel="follow">What do password managers do?</a></li>
<li><a href="#dowork" rel="follow">Do password managers work?</a></li>
<li><a href="#howwork" rel="follow">How does a password manager work?</a></li>
<li><a href="#aresafe" rel="follow">Are password managers safe in 2024?</a></li>
<li><a href="#doneed" rel="follow">Do I need a password manager?</a></li>
<li><a href="#whyuse" rel="follow">Why should you use a password manager?</a></li>
<li><a href="#benefitsof" rel="follow">What are the benefits of using a password manager?</a></li>
<li><a href="#allsame" rel="follow">Are all password managers the same?&nbsp;</a></li>
</ul>
TeamPassword makes it easy to keep your accounts safe from cybercriminals. Don&rsquo;t believe us? Sign up for a <a href="https://app.teampassword.com/dashboard#signup/testimonial">14-day free trial today</a> and try for yourself.
<img src="https://cdn.buttercms.com/5EgbpyxIQjSdfdHRsxO9" alt="undefined" width="551" height="367">
<h2 id="whatdo">What do password managers do?</h2>
Simply put, password managers take away the tedious, unfriendly tasks of creating and remembering passwords away from humans. The average person uses over 200 accounts, and each account should have a <a href="https://teampassword.com/blog/strong-password-generator">unique, strong, and random password</a>. However, the human brain isn&rsquo;t capable of remembering over 200 long strings of random characters.&nbsp;

(As a test, can you recall your credit and debit card numbers right now? That&rsquo;s only two sets of 16 numbers, and for most people the answer is &ldquo;no.&rdquo; Imagine if they also had upper- and lowercase letters and characters, were even longer, and if you didn&rsquo;t know them by heart you couldn&rsquo;t shop anymore!)

While <a href="https://teampassword.com/blog/what-is-a-passphrase">passphrases</a> are a useful memory hack for key account passwords you may need to remember, it&rsquo;s still not a reasonable task to remember over 200 four-word passphrases.

This leads many people to use simple passwords, and then reuse them again and again, which is a huge cybersecurity risk to you and your business.&nbsp;

The solution is to use a password generator so you can generate, save, use, and share unique, difficult-to-crack passwords for every account securely.&nbsp;
<h2 id="dowork">Do password managers work?</h2>
The answer is emphatically &ldquo;yes.&rdquo; Password managers generate a new password for every account for you. They then store them securely until needed. If you choose the <a href="https://teampassword.com/blog/best-password-managers-for-teams">right password manager for your team</a>, they can even allow you to share accounts with colleagues without ever sharing the actual credentials.

<a href="https://teampassword.com/blog/how-to-manage-passwords">Password managers are the only way to manage passwords securely and easily.</a>

It&rsquo;s easy to conclude that password managers do work by solving the real human tendency to take shortcuts on password creation and management. In fact, some companies still store passwords in a <a href="https://teampassword.com/blog/password-sheet-templates">Google Sheet</a>.

But, how do password managers work?&nbsp;
<h2 id="howwork">How does a password manager work?&nbsp;</h2>

There are really two things to understand about how password managers work:&nbsp;

<ol>
<li>
How do password managers create new passwords?
</li>
<li>
How do password managers store and retrieve passwords securely?
</li>
</ol>
<h3>How do password managers create new passwords?</h3>
<a href="https://teampassword.com/password-generator">Password generators</a> create strong, random passwords for you. They take the rules a website has for creating a password (for example, the maximum number of characters and the types of special characters allowed) and then generate a random password utilizing the maximum number of characters and maximum variety of characters to make the strongest password possible.&nbsp;

These passwords are impossible for humans to remember, but that&rsquo;s okay because the password manager is going to store and retrieve the passwords for you.&nbsp;

So, how do they do that?&nbsp;
<img src="https://cdn.buttercms.com/69xesKUWSv63YFIjhEyc" alt="undefined" width="551" height="367">
<h3>How do password managers store and retrieve passwords securely?</h3>

Without getting too technical, <a href="https://teampassword.com/blog/the-best-ways-to-store-passwords-2023">passwords are stored safely in a password vault</a> thanks to two technologies working together: an encryption and a key. Most password managers use 256-bit Advanced Encryption Standard (AES), which is a military-grade cipher adopted by the NSA in 2005.&nbsp;

AES is the encryption, while 256-bit is the key. In essence, AES turns your passwords into gibberish so that a hacker can&rsquo;t see your actual passwords even if they steal the file containing them. Then, 256-bit is a key that tells the system how to turn the gibberish back into the password when you need to use it. The number 256 refers to the 2^256 different possible combinations of zeroes and ones that make up the key. That results in a <a href="https://www.wolframalpha.com/input?i=2%5E256">78-digit number</a>, making it highly unlikely anyone would ever guess the right key.
<h2 id="aresafe">Are password managers safe in 2024?</h2>

Fundamentally, password managers are safe. They use military-grade encryption to store and retrieve passwords and provide a way to create unique passwords that match the maximum complexity allowed by the application.

While it&rsquo;s true that <a href="https://krebsonsecurity.com/2023/09/experts-fear-crooks-are-cracking-keys-stolen-in-lastpass-breach/">LastPass</a> has seen a series of hacks, including having their encryption key stolen, most password managers are very secure. For example, TeamPassword has consistently upgraded their security protocols over the last years to make sure they are many steps ahead of cybercriminals.&nbsp;

<a href="https://teampassword.com/blog/top-5-safest-password-managers">Here&rsquo;s a list of the most secure password managers if you want to be extra careful when selecting one.</a>
<h2 id="doneed">Do I need a password manager?</h2>
Pretty much everyone needs a password manager. If you have any online accounts, then you need a password manager. Thankfully, <a href="https://teampassword.com/blog/best-password-manager-for-iphone">Apple</a> and <a href="https://teampassword.com/blog/password-manager-for-android">Google</a> have created built-in password managers.While they aren&rsquo;t perfect, they are so far ahead of using the same password for every account that in a very real way they are making the world safer.

The question is really whether Apple Keychain or the Chrome Password Manager are sufficient. If you run a business, share accounts, switch between Apple and Windows environments, or want the added security of creating space between your <a href="https://teampassword.com/blog/why-do-hackers-want-your-email-address">email account and password manager</a> account, then you probably need a third-party password manager like TeamPassword.&nbsp;
<h2 id="whyuse">Why should you use a password manager?&nbsp;</h2>
Password managers are easy. That&rsquo;s the real answer. It is a rare case in the world where the easy way is also the right way, but for password managers that&rsquo;s the truth. They make your life easier while also making your Internet use safer.&nbsp;

Once you start using a password manager, you only need to remember your <a href="https://teampassword.com/blog/master-password-what-is-it-and-do-i-need-one">master password</a>. That one password unlocks all of your accounts so you don&rsquo;t need to remember over 200 passwords, and you won&rsquo;t be tempted to use the same password for over 200 accounts either.&nbsp;
<img src="https://cdn.buttercms.com/p5LBt2YETmqxABtyNwuA" alt="undefined" width="551" height="367">
<h2 id="benefitsof">What are the benefits of using a password manager?</h2>
Depending on the password manager you choose, there are many benefits to using one. Here are some of the primary benefits of using a password manager:

<ol>
<li>
It&rsquo;s easy: Password managers make it easier to create, store, use, and share passwords.
</li>
<li>
It&rsquo;s secure: Password managers create unique, strong, and random passwords for every new account and then store and retrieve them securely using military-grade encryption.&nbsp;
</li>
<li>
It&rsquo;s collaborative: Using a password manager in your company makes it easier to share needed accounts without sharing the credentials so work can be done together.
</li>
<li>
It&rsquo;s cost effective: Password managers are an inexpensive way to improve cybersecurity, and through sharing expensive accounts securely businesses usually save money overall.
</li>
<li>
It&rsquo;s simple to implement: The right password manager can be set up on all your devices and browsers in minutes and then is unobtrusively waiting in the background for whenever you need it.
</li>
</ol>
<h2 id="allsame">Are all password managers the same?</h2>

While any password manager is better than no password manager, they are not all built the same. Some are locked to a particular system. For example, the iCloud Keychain is only available on your Apple hardware, whereas the Chrome Password Manager only works in the Chrome browser.

Some other password managers require complicated setup as they are open source solutions. For IT professionals, this might be considered a benefit but for most people, even most people in the tech sector, that makes them harder to use (and therefore less likely to be used).

Finally, not all password managers are designed for teams. If your team shares accounts, then you need a password manager that can help you share access to software securely without divulging the login credentials directly. Only TeamPassword is built for teams.
<h2>TeamPassword can keep you and your business safe</h2>
Password managers are an effective way to improve your online safety. They make it easier to manage passwords according to the best practices recommended by cybersecurity professionals.&nbsp;

By providing unique, strong, and random passwords for each new account and then remembering them for you, you're not tempted to reuse easy-to-crack passwords. This keeps every account safe and available when you need them.

Best of all, password managers are easy to use and available automatically through browser extensions. It&rsquo;s rare to find a situation where the easy solution is the best one. With password managers, that&rsquo;s the case.

TeamPassword can protect your important accounts from yourself. Don&rsquo;t believe us? <a href="https://app.teampassword.com/dashboard#signup/testimonial">Sign up for a 14-day free trial today</a> and try for yourself.

Password managers aren’t complicated. They create and store hard to guess passwords securely to keep you safe. Here’s what you need to know.

Password managers aren’t complicated. They create and store strong, random passwords securely so you don’t need to remember ...

What is a password manager, and how do they work?

Password managers aren’t complicated. They create and store strong, random passwords securely so you don’t need to remember them. Passwords are saved in an encrypted environment that can only be accessed by a user's unique login. Some are designed for individual use and have limited accessibility, while others are designed for teams and can be accessed on any device or browser.

What is password management? Learn how to effectively manage your passwords with these best practices, tools, and more. Check out this guide today!

What is password management? Learn how to effectively manage your passwords with these best practices, tools, and more. ...

What Is Password Management? [Complete Guide]

Digital security has become among the most important issues since the turn of the century. While a significant number of people may associate hacking with large corporations and government institutions, most cyberattacks target small businesses and individuals. Often, unlike larger corporations and government institutions, small and medium businesses and individuals have less advanced security measures and protocols. Regardless of size, there is still significantly valuable information that hackers may acquire from unwitting individuals. This includes credit card and banking information, access codes to secure locations and access to confidential&nbsp;information.
Smart homes and smart devices are also under threat. Smart home security has become an important component of privacy. Devices that have access to the internet of things (IoT) are able to communicate with each other via a wireless network and have enabled people to use access to their homes in innovative ways.
Just as a secure smart home is vital, IoT security is vital because, unfortunately, the access of IoT&nbsp;to your main network&nbsp;also creates an access point for malicious actors that could break into your house, steal or vandalize property, physically harm or kidnap the occupants or remotely tamper with your home.&nbsp;Just as locks on doors and windows are essential, smart home security is a vital component of securing your space. Below are actionable tips that you should implement if you have a secure smart home.
Start protecting yourself today with a <a href="https://app.teampassword.com/dashboard?utm_source=blog&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_campaign=bcms#signup/testimonial" rel="follow">14-day free trial</a>.
<h2>1. Wi-Fi Password Security</h2>
The most basic approach to internet security is the use of <a href="https://teampassword.com/blog/common-password-problems-faced-small-organizations" target="_blank" rel="noopener">secure passwords</a>. A common way that Wi-Fi networks are breached is through the use of easily hackable passwords. Considering that software and AI are developing at a rapid rate, the use of simple passwords is now a way to make your network vulnerable. Another prudent practice is to not use the <a href="https://teampassword.com/blog/the-truth-about-terrible-passwords" target="_blank" rel="noopener">same password</a> for different accounts and to change it regularly. However, these practices are a hurdle for larger families with multiple individuals using the same network. Services like <a href="https://app.teampassword.com/dashboard?utm_source=blog&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_campaign=bcms#signup/testimonial" target="_blank" rel="follow noopener">Team Password</a> enable families to share secure log-ins and passwords, even when they are regularly altered. This is done through password synchronization across different accounts. Should one family member experience a hack and a password change is required, there would be no need to go through the hurdles of sharing a new secure password.
<h2>2. Updating IoT Devices</h2>
In certain cases, a weak point in the software or firmware of a device may be discovered&nbsp;and an update is required to patch that weak link. Failing to update devices connected to your network regularly could leave your home vulnerable to hackers. The best approach is to ensure that the settings on the device automatically and regularly check for updates. For certain devices, automatic installation may be acceptable, but for others that are critical to your security, such as a device capable of unlocking a door, it may be better to schedule updates manually at a reasonable time. IoT (Internet of Things) Security can be robust when constantly updated, rather than neglected. When a weakness is discovered in IoT security, the businesses that maintain the devices will patch the gap holes and it is up to you to make sure that the updates&nbsp;are installed onto the device.
<h2>3. Firewall and Antivirus Software</h2>
It is not uncommon that unprotected devices are infiltrated by malicious code. There are all kinds of computer viruses and undesirable programs that could access your system and compromise your security. Defensive software such as antivirus programs and firewalls should always&nbsp;be kept up to date.
<h2>4. Router Security</h2>
While many individuals will change the names of their wi-fi networks and use secure passwords for them, one access point that is neglected is the router itself. Hackers may get access to your network if you leave the default settings, such as administrator usernames and passwords. Not everyone in your household will need access to router settings. Regardless, the same prudent approach to secure access to the Wi-Fi should be used for the router password. A service like <a href="https://app.teampassword.com/dashboard?utm_source=blog&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_campaign=bcms#signup/testimonial" target="_blank" rel="follow noopener">Team Password</a>makes this an easy task.
<h2>5. Separate IoT Network</h2>
The network that controls your devices requires a higher level of security than that which, for example, your house guests use. A reasonable approach is to create two networks with your IoT devices on their own network.
<h2>6. Device Access and Permissions</h2>
Some devices are always on and surveilling either visually or audibly. These could be used&nbsp;by hackers to access information or images that could be used in a harmful way. Also, be wary of the permissions granted to certain devices. If a particular device requests permission to access the information it does not need, disable the function.
<h2>7. Multi-Factor Authentication</h2>
<a href="https://teampassword.com/blog/one-time-passwords-vs-two-factor-authentication" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Multi-factor authentication</a> is an important approach to security. Use your phone or a third-party app like an authenticator. In&nbsp;the event that you are hacked on any email, device or account, two-factor and multifactor authentication will ensure that no one else will access any vital information or accounts without your phone or the app that is used for multifactor authentication. Regardless of your approach in this security, <a href="https://teampassword.com/blog/the-biggest-password-trends-of-2020" target="_blank" rel="noopener">passphrases,</a> which are&nbsp;complicated versions of passwords, have proven to be effective. <a href="https://app.teampassword.com/dashboard?utm_source=blog&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_campaign=bcms#signup/testimonial" target="_blank" rel="follow noopener">Password lockers</a> are an effective way to ensure that you will not forget even the most complicated of passphrases and link them to all devices.

Team password is an effective password management service. with other services like password generation. Experience it today with a <a href="https://app.teampassword.com/dashboard?utm_source=blog&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_campaign=bcms#signup/testimonial" rel="follow">14-day free trail</a>

Even when you secure the perimeter of your home, you should find out how to make sure your home is not vulnerable to cyberattacks.

Even when you secure the perimeter of your home, you should find out how to make sure your ...

7 Tips to Secure Your Smart Home and IoT Devices

<h2>Secure Passwords Checklist: 10 Things You Need to Do to Keep Passwords Safe</h2>
There's no such thing as being too safe, especially when it comes to your passwords. As your personal data's one and only line of defence, you don't want to be caught cutting corners with your password when cybercriminals and hackers show up looking to crack your codes and steal your information. For this reason, it's absolutely&nbsp;essential to follow this secure passwords checklist to make sure you keep your passwords safe. Read on to see if there's anything you need to change &mdash; odds are, there will be.
Sign up for a <a href="https://app.teampassword.com/dashboard#signup/testimonial" target="_blank" rel="noopener">free TeamPassword trial</a> to take advantage of the TeamPassword password manager today.
<h2>Keep Passwords on a Need-to-Know Basis</h2>
Perhaps unsurprisingly, one of the leading causes of cybersecurity breaches is password sharing. It happens quite&nbsp;often, and for relatively innocent reasons: For example, say&nbsp;you tell your Netflix login to someone who then tells it to someone else who then tells it to someone else. Before long, a few dozen people have the same username and password you use for your banking, your social media, and your bills. The only way to prevent this is to simply not <a href="https://teampassword.com/blog/the-most-secure-way-to-share-passwords" target="_blank" rel="noopener">share your passwords</a> with anyone who doesn't need to know them.
<h2>Don't Reuse Old Passwords.</h2>
While it might be tempting to reuse the same password with a different variation each time you're asked to reset it, you should&nbsp;resist this urge and go with a new password each time. If you continue to switch up a letter here or a number there while sticking to the same basic password, it'll be incredibly simple for cybercriminals to crack your logins and have their way with your personal data and vital info.
<h2>Two-Factor Authentication Is a Must</h2>
When given the opportunity to enable two-factor authentication, you should&nbsp;absolutely go for it. Two-factor authentication sends a call, a text, or an email to your personal device when logging in, preventing <a href="https://teampassword.com/blog/have-i-been-hacked-how-to-know-for-sure" target="_blank" rel="noopener">hackers</a> or cybercriminals from having such easy access to your login. Even if they have your username and password, it's pretty unlikely that they'll be able to&nbsp;see your texts or answer your phone.
<h2>Make Sure Each Website Has Its Own Unique Password</h2>
Plenty of us are guilty of using the same password across all our different accounts. It's easy to remember, and it allows you to log in faster, but it also makes you more vulnerable to widespread hacking if someone ends up getting their hands on your password. If the same virtual key fits in all of your online padlocks, cybercriminals can have an open season on your data and info with ease. Each new website should get its own unique password.
<h2>Change Your Passwords Often</h2>
If it ain't broke, why fix it, right? When it comes to passwords, this is dead wrong. Not every website prompts its users to change their password frequently, so it's easy to forget that this is one of the most essential defence mechanism against getting hacked. Change your passwords often &mdash; once every month&nbsp;or so, if you can bear to. It'll absolutely be worth your while in the long run because it essentially turns you into a virtual moving target.
<h2>Think Phrases Instead of Words</h2>
While the word "password" suggests something short and simple, you should&nbsp;start thinking of phrases instead of words. Passphrases are longer and more complex than passwords, and they make things harder to crack for cybercriminals while staying easy to remember for you. A song lyric, a favourite quote, anything &mdash; the longer and more obscure it is, the safer you'll be.
<h2>Use a Password Manager</h2>
Now that you've made up some complex passphrases that are unique to each website you log in to, you're going to need a safe place to store all of them. Obviously, it's not very safe to just write them down on a piece of paper or a Word document out in the open. <a href="https://app.teampassword.com/dashboard#signup/testimonial" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Password managers</a> safely and securely encrypt your various passwords, making them virtually impenetrable to hackers and cybercriminals.
Sign up for a <a href="https://app.teampassword.com/dashboard#signup/testimonial" target="_blank" rel="noopener">free TeamPassword trial</a> to take advantage of the TeamPassword password manager today.
<h2>Log Out, Then Close the Window</h2>
It's really tempting to leave all our favourite tabs up on our laptops or our phones so that we can have easy access to all our websites and things. Unfortunately, if your device falls into the wrong hands, you've essentially made it easier than ever for your passwords to be <a href="https://teampassword.com/blog/the-scariest-data-breaches-of-all-time" target="_blank" rel="noopener">breached</a> &mdash; especially if you're still logged in across all your tabs. The best thing you can do is to log out and close out of your tab when you're done with it. (And you can always bookmark the site instead of leaving it open.)
<h2>Beware of Public Networks</h2>
Free Wi-Fi has been a staple of coffee shops, restaurants, stores, and countless other public places for years now. As such, it was only a matter of time before hackers found a way to take advantage of this. Public networks are much less secure than home internet connections, and you're a lot more vulnerable to having your passwords stolen when logging into your various accounts on these public Wi-Fi hotspots. If you must connect to a public network, use a VPN (virtual private network) to secure yourself.
<h2>Take Caution When Choosing Reset Options</h2>
When you choose your security questions when creating a new username and password, you should&nbsp;always be sure not to choose answers that could be easily discovered on the internet: Things like your pet's name that you posted on social media, the name of the street you used to live on, or even your mother's maiden name. When you go with these sorts of questions, you make it easier for someone to come along and reset your password without your knowledge, effectively locking you out of your own account with relative ease.
<h2>The Bottom Line: Password Safety Is Essential</h2>
At the end of the day,&nbsp;password safety is just as essential as locking your front door or your car &mdash; if not more. By following this secure passwords checklist and using <a href="https://teampassword.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">TeamPassword</a>'s password manager to store all your login info, you'll be able to better ensure your online safety across the board. Sign up for a <a href="https://app.teampassword.com/dashboard#signup/testimonial" target="_blank" rel="noopener">free trial</a> today.

When it comes to online security, you can never be too safe, especially with passwords. These 10 tips will help you develop secure passwords

When it comes to online security, you can never be too safe, especially with passwords. These 10 tips ...

10 Things You Need to Do to Keep Passwords Safe

<h2>What Is a Brute Force Attack, and Are You at Risk?</h2>
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A brute force attack is when hackers use trial and error to guess login credentials, encryption keys, or some other hidden information. Hackers essentially work through all possible codes of characters in order until one of the combinations works.
The attack is called &ldquo;brute force&rdquo; because it is just an unsophisticated use of login attempts to get into an account. It is essentially an overwhelming attempt to &ldquo;force&rdquo; one&rsquo;s way into a secured location.
This is one of the oldest forms of attacks, but it is still popular today. It can take anywhere from seconds to longer than the age of the Universe to crack a password using this method depending on the complexity of the chosen password and the amount of cloud computing resources put to use in the attack.
To prevent brute force and related attacks, you need to ensure your team is using long, complex, and random passwords. This is best accomplished using a password manager.&nbsp;
<a href="https://teampassword.com/">TeamPassword</a> keeps all your passwords safe and up to date so that they are there when you need them.
TeamPassword lets you safely share passwords with teammates while ensuring that your projects are safe.
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Sign up today for a <a href="https://app.teampassword.com/dashboard#signup/testimonial">free 14-day TeamPassword trial</a> and protect your company's digital assets from cybercriminals.
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<h2>Types of brute force and related attacks</h2>
While the traditional brute force attack is unsophisticated and relies on cycling through all random combinations of permissible characters, meaning that the word &ldquo;password&rdquo; is equally safe (or not safe) as the combination &ldquo;aT./$x6m&rdquo;, in practice, brute force attacks are modified or combined with others making <a href="https://teampassword.com/blog/colonial-pipeline-ransomware-attack-dont-reuse-passwords">reused</a> or common passwords far less safe. The following are some of the brute force and related attacks used today:
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Simple brute force attacks</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Dictionary attacks</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Hybrid brute force attacks</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Reverse brute force attacks</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Credential stuffing</li>
</ul>
<h3>Simple brute force attacks</h3>
The simple brute force attack simply cycles through all possible passwords in order. As an overly simple example, if your login information allows only lowercase, six-digit passwords, then it would start at &ldquo;aaaaaa&rdquo;, go to &ldquo;aaaaab&rdquo;, and so on until hitting &ldquo;zzzzzz.&rdquo;
<h3>Dictionary attacks</h3>
Dictionary attacks are often used as the prelude to a brute force attack. They are not brute force attacks themselves, but in combination with a brute force, attack make it far more likely that the brute force attack will succeed.&nbsp;
In these attacks, the hacker first tries all words in a dictionary. These dictionaries include not only the words you&rsquo;d find in the Merriam-Webster dictionary but also variations of the words and lists of commonly used passwords as well. For example, instead of just &ldquo;password,&rdquo; you&rsquo;d find &ldquo;Password,&rdquo; &ldquo;p4ssw0rd&rdquo;, &ldquo;Pa55W0rd123&rdquo;, and so on.&nbsp;
This is why both complex and unique passwords are needed.
<h3>Hybrid brute force attacks</h3>
The hybrid attack is the mixture of the simple brute force attack and dictionary attack mentioned above. They are particularly good at finding common passwords that have been mixed with some form of <a href="https://teampassword.com/blog/password-best-practices-what-makes-a-password-strong">padding</a>.
Padding is when you take a password, e.g., &ldquo;Password,&rdquo; and then add a set of random characters to the end, e.g., &ldquo;1.1/1.1/2.2/2.2&rdquo;. While &ldquo;Password1.1/1.1/2.2/2.2&rdquo; is a much stronger password than either half separately, these hybrid systems will run a brute force method for cracking the padding behind common passwords.
<h3>Reverse brute force attacks</h3>
Instead of running through billions of potential passwords, the reverse brute force method uses a common password and then tries to find any account using that password. For example, knowing that the password &ldquo;qwerty&rdquo; is still disastrously common, the hacker will keep using that password while trying to find usernames of people who have unfortunately not updated their password thinking since the last millennium.
<h3>Credential stuffing</h3>
This method works with username-password combinations that have been <a href="https://teampassword.com/blog/have-i-been-pwnd-what-to-do-when-it-happens">pwned</a>. Being &ldquo;pwned&rdquo; means that your credentials have been leaked online.&nbsp;
Since many users reuse their login information on many sites, hackers will check a known password&ndash;username combination across hundreds of other sites in hopes that someone has reused their pwned credentials.&nbsp;
In our quest to become more secure, passwords become less and less easy to remember. This leads to password reuse. Let <a href="https://app.teampassword.com/dashboard#signup/testimonial">TeamPassword</a> take care of securely remembering your team&rsquo;s passwords, so they don&rsquo;t use the same passwords as on less secure sites.
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<h2>Tools that Aid Brute Force Attempts</h2>
It goes without saying that this isn&rsquo;t being discussed to encourage password cracking, but just to see exactly what you are up against when trying to secure a network. Hackers have created an entire ecosystem of tools to aid them in their nefarious actions, and you should be aware of them to appreciate just how hard it is to maintain a secure network.
<h3>Automated tools&nbsp;help with brute force attacks.</h3>
Instead of manually entering every possible password, it is unsurprising that hackers have created automated software to run their brute force attacks. These automated programs can run through dictionary attacks as well.&nbsp;
Many of these tools have workarounds to work against computer protocols (e.g., MySQL and Telnet), hack wireless routers, decrypt passwords in encrypted storage, translate words to different forms (e.g., password, p4ssw0rd, and Pa55WoRd), and identify weak passwords.
<h3>Some tools can scan pre-compute rainbow tables.</h3>
A rainbow table is a pre-computed table for caching the output of cryptographic hash functions, usually for cracking password hashes. Thus, scanning rainbow tables removes the hardest part of the brute force attack to speed up the rate of cracking.
<h3>GPU Speeds Brute Force Attempts</h3>
Brute force attacks require a huge amount of computation. GPUs can do this work much more easily than CPUs, so many brute-force software packages enable the use of GPUs.
<h3>Combining the CPU and GPU&nbsp;</h3>
Combining CPUs and GPUs accelerates computing power even further. GPUs can process parallelizable processes incredibly quickly. That is, any computing process that can be broken down into many smaller components to be run at the same time can be done across the thousands of computing cores in the GPU at a rapid pace. With this method. Hackers can crack passwords about 250 times faster than a CPU alone.
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<h2>How effective is a complex password against a brute force attack?&nbsp;</h2>
Brute force attacks can be thwarted by long, complex passwords. However, that doesn&rsquo;t mean you are entirely without vulnerability just because you force users on your network to pick complex passwords.&nbsp;
Let&rsquo;s assume you make everyone on your network choose a password with a minimum length of 12 characters with at least one lowercase letter, uppercase letter, number, and special character. That is, it meets the following requirements:&nbsp;
Lowercase letter {abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz}
Uppercase letter {ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ}
Number {0123456789}
Character {!@#$%^&amp;*()_+{}|:"&lt;&gt;?~`-=[]\;',./}
This is very effective against a brute force attack: to crack that password by trying 20,000,000,000 attempts per second, which can be accomplished using a cloud computing platform, would take an average of 3,300 years. But is that enough?
Although it would prevent a pure, simple brute force attack, if a hybrid brute force attack were used instead, then it would depend on how unique the password is as well. If your employee chooses the password &ldquo;Password-123&rdquo;, then chances are it will be found in the dictionary prelude to the brute force attack, and a hacker will be on your network in seconds.
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<h2>What do hackers gain from Brute Force Attacks?</h2>
Brute force attacks are not cheap. Either the hackers need to own a huge computing service or pay for that server time. Alternatively, they might spend years developing a botnet to carry out the attack. So, where is the payoff? Well, hackers can profit in many different ways:
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Profiting from ads or collecting activity data</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Stealing personal data and valuables</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Spreading malware to cause disruptions</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Hijacking your system for malicious activity</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Ruining a website&rsquo;s reputation</li>
</ul>
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<h2>How can you reduce your risk of brute force attacks?</h2>
There are many ways you can reduce your risk of brute force attacks. Often, just being a difficult target is enough online as there are still people using &ldquo;12345678&rdquo; as their password, and the reduced effort makes them a more profitable target.
<h3>Longer passwords with varied character types</h3>
Whenever possible, use long, complex passwords with lowercase and uppercase letters, numbers, and special characters.&nbsp;
<h3>Elaborate passphrases</h3>
If a site allows you to create passwords of any length, consider a passphrase&mdash;or the combination of many words&mdash;mixed with special characters. For example, instead of &ldquo;H3ll0#&rdquo;, try &ldquo;hello.MY-nAmE/15_what&rdquo;. The sheer length combined with special characters and numbers makes it much harder to crack through brute force or dictionary attacks.
<h3>Stay away from frequently used passwords.</h3>
Passwords need to be complex and unique! One or the other will not fool hackers for even a minute.
<h3>Use unique passwords for every site you use</h3>
It is always worth reiterating: never reuse passwords. If your password is pwned on Fortnight, that might be annoying. If the hackers then use that password to empty your bank account, it goes from upsetting to months or years of misery.
<h3>Remove unused accounts</h3>
Keep your network safe by removing old users regularly and immediately if they have high permissions.
<h3>Use a password manager.</h3>
The best thing you can do to prevent a brute force attack is to help your users create strong passwords by providing a password manager. Only with <a href="https://app.teampassword.com/dashboard#signup/testimonial">TeamPassword</a> can you facilitate your team in becoming proactive participants in network security.&nbsp;
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<a href="https://app.teampassword.com/dashboard#signup/testimonial">Sign up for a 14-day free trial</a> to test TeamPassword with your team members today.

A brute force attack is when hackers use trial and error to guess login credentials. but how can you protect yourself from their attacks?

A brute force attack is when hackers use trial and error to guess login credentials. but how can ...

What is a brute force attack and are you at risk?

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

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

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

5 Password Hygiene Tips to Stop Cybercriminals

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

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.

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

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

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

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