Do you have a strong password?

Recently the most used passwords were announced by Splashdata. You can follow the link to see the list - https://www.teamsid.com/worst-passwords-2015/.

The top three being password, 123456 and 12345678.

Passwords used to be simple 6-8 character words but with so many software packages able to crack simple passwords, we need to ensure that the most common source of security works for us. Here are some basic rules. At a recent security seminar, a speaker was suggesting that a password needed to be at least 25 characters long to be effective! (try remembering numerous 25 character passwords)

1. Make sure you use a password that is not linked to you personally, so no names, birthdates, addresses, pet names, children names, etc.

2. The best passwords are a mixture of lower case and upper case characters, numbers and symbols and should be at least 10 characters long.

3. The longer the password, the more difficult you make it for a hacker to access your information.

4. Make sure you have different passwords for different things. Your work passwords should be different from your personal ones.

5. Change passwords regularly, at least every three months and more regularly for sensitive information access. Work based computer systems can be set to prompt the change of password on a regular basis and this should be part of your password policy.

6. Do not write your passwords down on a sheet of paper or on a post it note stuck by the desk  - I have been to a number of organisations where this was the case!

7. For businesses, do not share passwords between colleagues. Each member of staff should have their own individual login and you shouldn't share your passwords with someone else.

8. Do not use characters which are adjacent to each other on the keyboard. So no qwerty, zxcvbnm, etc.

9. One of the best ways to create a password is either to use a phrase, song lyric or opening sentence of a book.You could use the initials of the sentence instead of the whole sentence if you want, even better if you add punctuation as well.

10. If you are using your web browser to store your passwords for websites make sure you use the master password option, otherwise anyone who has access to your machine has access to all your passwords.

11.There are online security services which can help users safeguard passwords, these include LastPass, DashLane, and 1Password. These store passwords and user names in the cloud and are secured with a master password (make sure it is a strong password). Additionally, there are ones which will store passwords on your computer, these include Roboform, PasswordSafe or Keepass. If you can't remember the master password you are pretty much out of luck.

As your password is one of the key lines of security for your information, make it the best it can be.

9 cybersecurity fixes for businesses on a budget

For small businesses, a data breach can be expensive - it could even cost you your business. According to some studies, it’s been estimated that around half of companies are forced out of business within six months of a cyber breach.

One unfortunate trend that’s being picked up is that smaller businesses are increasingly becoming the targets of cybercrime - it’s not just major companies that are being held to ransom by hackers. It doesn’t help that a lot of smaller businesses rely on third-party services and growing amounts of computer equipment, both of which leave them ever more open to the threat of an attack.

It’s the big companies that make all the headlines, but this can be a factor in lulling smaller businesses into a false sense of security when in fact they are most at risk - more than 80 per cent of breaches are estimated to happen to small businesses. But with limited resources, how can you effectively secure your business against cyber threats?

Some of the solutions are obvious; for example 90 per cent of attacks can be avoided if a company uses basic measures such as firewalls, default passwords, VPNs and double authentication.  In addition, there are a few extra quick security fixes you can easily put in place to make sure everyone in the business does their bit to avoid a potentially devastating security breach.

1. Update your PC

Out of date software may not be supported or updated, leaving it open to threat. If you have any computers still running Windows XP, for example, get them upgraded - support and updates for Windows XP haven’t been available since last year!

2. Train your staff

Have a clear data protection policy in place and make sure everyone is clear about what they can and cannot store on their personal computers.

3. Keep sensitive data protected

Don’t use the same computer for storing sensitive data that you use for checking office email or surfing the web, keep a dedicated machine just for that purpose.

4. Review your stored information

Review the information that’s stored on your server(s) on a regular basis and make sure that confidential or financial data is properly protected.

5. Keep PCs well protected

Check that all your office PCs, laptops and tablets have automatic software and antivirus updates enabled and keep firewalls switched on.

6. Plan ahead

Put together a backup plan, which includes things such as who you need to call to arrange offsite backup if the worst happens, whether it’s hackers, a fire or flood, or physical theft of equipment. Keep a record of insurance policy details and what policies actually cover. 

7. Do your homework

Keep a close eye on computer logs and occasionally review them as they will prove valuable during an incident. Well maintained logs help you to understand what your computers normally do, which could help you spot hackers before they cause any damage.

8. Consider using a managed security service

Managed security services give you an extra layer of protection, and peace of mind that your business is as well-protected as a larger firm.

9. Support knowledge sharing

If we all share our actionable data on cyber breaches, it means that experts get an update on shared threats that exist. Knowing what’s out there gives the experts the opportunity to come up with an analytic approach to reflect the risk of cyber threats.

Do you have a security policy in place? If you’re unsure of how to protect your data, contact me and I will be delighted to provide you with guidance and advice.