General Technology & Tools

Is Your Biggest Security Threat Your Password?

Published on: March 23rd, 2016

Today, passwords seem to rule our lives. Every website you visit to manage your finances, pay your bills, purchase products, or access your medical records all demand passwords that are complex and very difficult to remember. Of course, we should be thankful as these requirements are designed to keep our finances, information and identities’ safe and secure. Still, managing the ever-growing list of letter combinations, symbols, and numbers that form our secure passwords is becoming overwhelming.

The Importance of Secure Passwords

We are all creatures of habit. We like to create passwords that are familiar to us and that we can easily remember, like our kids’ names and birthdates. We also tend to use the same ones over and over for simplicity. While this may help you remember how to get into all of your accounts, these habits make breaking your password a relatively easy thing to do. It is estimated that 90% of all passwords can be cracked in 6 hours or less. If you are using the same password over and over, the person cracking your password can have access to every account you have and all of your most private data in less than an easy day at work.

Security breaches continue to make headlines and many businesses know they are vulnerable and not fully protected against potential threats. This may cause small business owners to worry about securing their data, backing up their systems, and installing professional locks on office doors. However, they rarely take the time to protect one of the most vulnerable parts of their office: how their employees are accessing critical business data. Generally, employees are even more likely to use an easy password for their work accounts as they have to use the same logins several times throughout the day.

Unfortunately, requiring and creating difficult passwords creates another set of problems. While you may accept that is it better to use complex password structures that are unique to every login that you have, there is no way to remember all of this information. It is estimated that the average person has 90 different accounts that require a password, and it just isn’t possible to remember all of them!

This problem is often solved by creating a list of passwords and keeping it in a document on your computer. That is convenient for you and that person that accesses your computer and simply puts in a search for “passwords” and pulls up that document. Some people have even gone so far as typing up the list and taping it to their monitor. They might as well just leave all of their money and information laying on their desk.

How to Have Secure Passwords and Not Lose Your Mind

Fortunately, there is help. Protecting your business and data with secure passwords can be done by the help of a password management software. This type of software is designed to provide the user with one secure place to save and organize passwords. This software will require one very difficult password that will then provide the user with access to their entire list of passwords.

According to PC Magazine, the password management software, LastPass, is one of the best products available today. Offered by LogMeIn, a vendor partner with Computer Troubleshooters, LastPass is being listed as one of the top choices for home and small business users to safeguard their data from potential hackers by going above and beyond industry standards to implement the most elite and secure technology available.

For individual users, LastPass comes in two different flavors, Free and Premium. The free version of LastPass comes fully equipped with:

• Unlimited storage for passwords and notes
• Automatic backup and sync for your first device
• Automated filling of logins and forms
• Audit passwords with security challenge
• Multi-factor authentication and one-time passwords

With LastPass Premium, you’ll be able to log onto any desktop, smartphone, laptop, or tablet and sync your vault. For only $12.00 a year, you’ll be able to manage joint accounts, access your passwords everywhere, and keep everyone in your family synced together. Along with all of the free features mentioned above, with the premium account you’ll also be able to take advantage of:

• Unlimited sync across all mobile and desktop devices
• Additional multifactor authentication options
• Desktop application passwords
• Shared folders with customized permissions (1 folder up to 5 users)

From startups to Fortune 500’s, businesses are utilizing LastPass Enterprise to fully integrate a single sign-on and access management solution with complete support for every cloud application and password. A data breach can destroy a business, but a company can mitigate risk, increase compliance, reduce cost and risk across the entire organization with LastPass Enterprise.

LastPass Enterprise solution secures a business with centralized control of passwords and apps all under one secure roof, easily. LastPass Enterprise comes equipped with everything the free and premium versions include plus:

• Shared folders with customized permissions – Unlimited
• Centralized Administrators console
• Single sign-on
• Directory integration and automated provisioning
• Security policies and reporting

There is no question that passwords are becoming too hard to manage on our own. Thankfully a solution like LastPass is available to successfully manage them safely and securely. Contact the experts at your nearest Computer Troubleshooters to guide you towards the right protection plan to properly safeguard your data and your business today.