Being cyber secure should be a priority in any business. You might have seen our post last week which gave you all the criteria for a strong password, and it’s because we truly believe that it is one of the most simple but effective things you can do to keep your business cyber secure. Passwords are a staple thing to keeping your business protected from cyber crime, so let’s have a look at why strong passwords are so important, and what a strong password actually consists of.
Criteria for a strong password
First of all, let’s see what a strong password actually is and how we can construct one. There are a few different steps that you can take to ensure that your password can’t be guessed by hackers. You can create a checklist for our team to ensure that everyone is taking the necessary precaution for a strong password. So, let’s take a look below for the kind of things that you should be looking at when you’re coming up with a new password:
- 12 characters
- Special symbols
- A word not in the dictionary
- Numbers
- A mix of upper and lower case letters
Now we know what criteria to use for a strong password, and have a checklist in place, let’s find out just exactly why a strong password is so important…
Hackers
If you’re unsure why you need to pay so much attention to your passwords, hackers should be the reason alone. It is so easy for hackers to commit a cyber crime by stealing your data. They can gather information about you from online to guess your password and crack it. This could be going on for a long time, where they attempt different combinations to find your password and get into your systems to use your bank details or social media to steal any personal details.
Malicious Software
And, if hackers weren’t bad enough, malicious software is also a threat for businesses. You might have seen the term malware which is malicious software like a virus. This is harmful to your devices and data, and can be catastrophic if you don’t take steps to prevent it. Malicious software is developed by cyber criminals by making intrusive software.
Being cyber secure
So, how do you feel about your passwords now? Are they strong enough, or are you going to change them? It is such a quick task that should be in your team’s routines when it comes to being cyber secure. Take the time to ensure that your password is strong enough and that it is changed frequently. It’s one clear step to reduce the risk of ransomware and phishing attacks!
We specialise in cyber security and can offer cyber security consultancy for your business. Get in contact today to see how we can help you.
