“ Protecting 🅿️ … ”

How well do you manage your passwords? Do you have them written in your notes app..(please tell me you don’t)? I recently had a chat with one of my mates and he mentioned that he got a notification about his password that had been found in a big hack. How does this happen?

Fun fact:  59% of people use the same password everywhere.

It comes down to a few reasons:

1. Re-using the same password for multiple accounts
2. Using very weak passwords
3. Using a password on an unsecure website

The third point is interesting because if you’ve used your password to sign up to a website that is not secure, or has experienced a breach, then your password is likely to make that list. However, if you use a password manager you’ll see the following warning (see below), which lets you know if one of the passwords to your online accounts is not safe anymore and must be changed. 

This is actually a screenshot of my safari homepage. I know right, it happens to the best of us. If you do see this message, you should change your password ASAP. I have written a blog on creating strong passwords and as good as it is to create a strong one, it’s very hard to remember every. single. one. This is where a password manager comes in handy and here are a few reasons why you should use one:

• It saves you time by auto-filling your credentials online
• It can auto-generate a secure password for you
• The need to memorise all your passwords is gone

Before I forget, here’s another thing you can do to check if your credentials have been in a data breach. Visit https://haveibeenpwned.com and you’ll be able to see if your email address has been compromised. If your email address has been compromised, the best thing to do is to change your password whilst also not using the same password from another account. I mean, at least make it hard for the bad guys.

Remembering passwords can be quite jarring and I think everyone is starting to realise this. In the future, I do think passwords will be a thing of the past as it will save businesses a lot of time and money by eliminating the need to reset and manage passwords. Going passwordless will allow us to authenticate ourselves without the need to remember anything. Although, this is something that will have to be properly established, because hackers will be looking for any type of loophole.  

Love & Guidance

TT