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Enforce password policies to protect your business

These best practices could mean the difference between a costly attack and no attack

A recent report by cloud security firm Lookout found the 5 passwords most commonly found on the dark web due to data breaches are:

1. 123456

2. 123456789

3. Qwerty

4. Password

5. 12345

Cybersecurity solutions provider Hive Systems released this interesting chart on how long it would take to crack your password based on length and character makeup.

Enforce a strong password policy at your business

To protect your business, implement and enforce a strong password policy. Below are best practices.

Long passwords – experts recommend a minimum of 15 characters.

All characters – include a mix of numbers, lowercases letters, uppercase letter and symbols. As the chart from Hive shows, this is the difference between minutes to hack vs. millions of years.

Change often – passwords should be changed every 4 to 8 weeks.

Avoid common info – do not use things like your kids name, your employers name or the city you live in. Avoid common words and words found in the dictionary. Also avoid obvious sequences like “abcde” and “12345.” Misspellings are recommended.

Use multi-factor authentication (MFA) – this requires the person trying to access the account to provide a 2nd identifier, such as a passcode sent to a mobile phone or a finger print. Engineers at Microsoft found it prevents over 99% of attacks.

Take action now

Security breaches can cost millions of dollars and many times force small to midsize business to shut down. Simple measures like best password practices and multi-factor authentication can make all the difference.

Insight BTR, an IT solutions provider serving southern Wisconsin, will work with you to create, implement and execute a security plan that works for your business. To get started, call 608-661-0750 or email info@insightbtr.com.

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