The first Thursday in English hawthorn is World Password Day . Today is the day chosen to make users and companies aware of the need and importance in choosing, adopting, creating and using strong passwords , both in the personal and work areas.
We all know that digitization and the 2.0 era means that
many of our activities and actions are carried out through the Internet and
with computers or smartphones.
However, the leaks that occur and the reports that provide
us with data indicate that we continue to violate the basic rules in the
creation, use and maintenance of passwords.
Many of us know the importance of cybersecurity , but the
truth is that we must also count on the lack of security or the ignorance of
many others. Passwords are the first defense barrier against cyberattacks
seeking to access and seize personal information and confidential corporate
information.
In Spain there are up to 40,000 cyberattacks a day,
placing our country in the third most attacked in Europe
Cybercriminals can access and get hold of our passwords by
different means and automatic actions. For example, by brute force , that is,
through random trial and combination; By dictionary attacks in which
cybercriminals start with simple letters and evolve into more complex words; By
phishing or identity theft or through Keylogger, which consists of the
installation of malware on the devices to capture the keystrokes.
In short, to protect ourselves and solve possible security
holes and vulnerabilities, we are going to start with the passwords and access
codes that protect our data, whether personal or corporate.
Create strong and strong passwords. Run away from the
obvious
We have heard the expression "strong passwords"
countless times, but what does a strong and secure password mean? First of all,
don't use obvious passwords. Do not forget to avoid and discard any personal
data or that can be easily related to you.
The worst passwords are 123456, abc123, password or qwerty
Ideally, you should use passwords that combine uppercase and
lowercase letters, as well as numbers, letters, and special characters.
One way to measure the security of your passwords is by
calculating the time it could take for a cybercriminal to guess your passwords.
Therefore, the longer the length, the safer (8 to 13 characters minimum). Bet
on phrases or long words.
For more security, apply the double authentication factor, a
double security padlock and that is an additional layer.
Do you use the same password?
We understand that it is difficult to have different passwords
for each platform, tool, application or procedure. However, it is safest not to
use the same password for everything.
In your personal life you don't use the same key to open all
the doors!
Remember that passwords and access codes are the master keys
that safeguard our information and the access door to all our services.
One of the most common cyberattacks is the attack that is
based on exploiting gaps or vulnerabilities in the access credentials "
credential stuffing" . Through this act, cybercriminals can access each of
the profiles, accounts or tools that you have on the Internet and that have the
same password.
To be able to remember the passwords you can use mnemonic
rules, puns or small signs that only you understand and know.
This is a process of maintenance and evolution
You have already created strong passwords and you have also
created different passwords for your actions and profiles on the network. We
are sorry to tell you that passwords have to be updated after a while and
regularly. Changing access to profiles, platforms or applications is a
responsible action to preserve security.
If you have a company, remember to implement a password
management policy for your employees. Workers access services, network
locations, remote devices, or even cloud services and need credentials for
them. The corporate password management policies imply parameters to generate,
maintain or update the keys