I recently came across this article on a study that Keeper Security did in February 2021 in which 1,000 full-time employees were questioned about their password habits. The results? A much-needed wake-up call to business owners everywhere. While the average employee’s computer security knowledge wasn’t stellar in the past, this last year has undoubtedly given increased technological access to the average employee at a time when multiple factors have also led to complacency and even laziness with security.
At the same time, cyber crime is at an all-time high and growing at a terrifying pace, feeding off the laziness and naïveté of a world that is becoming ever-more reliant on technology it often doesn’t understand. Having a strong password is undoubtedly important, but how you store those passwords is just as important; it doesn’t matter how good your lock is if you leave the key lying on the table next to it. Requiring strong passwords is smart, but it is simply not enough anymore. Any one employee may be asked to have anywhere from 2-10 unique, strong passwords for different applications and accounts. Throw in the fact that passwords should be rotated frequently, and you can understand why people feel the need to write them down.
Password Manager
This is why we at Sterling Ideas have decided to add a Password Manager to our list of software that we provide to our clients. At its core, a password manager is a place for you to write down all your passwords so you don’t forget them. Only unlike a sticky note, password managers are extremely secure applications that allow you to access your credentials from anywhere you need them and can be monitored and controlled to ensure passwords are not being lost, stolen, or accidentally taken out by a coffee spill.
There’s much more good information from this article, so I’m going to reference it again. My next post will be about sharing of accounts…and why you shouldn’t.