Password Security – The Technology making Passwords Safer

Password Security Practices. Can my business users be more secure?

Did you know that the average business employee has to keep track of 191 different passwords? Most try to keep these safe by logging them in Excel spreadsheets. Others use the same password across all of their systems, despite understanding the dangers.

Most data breaches in business are caused by weak or leaked passwords, yet most businesses don’t know that there are systems available to help mitigate bad password security practices. Let’s explore some below:

Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)

The simplest way to start adding an extra level of security to your passwords is to enable Multi-Factor authentication. Some systems will call this Two-factor authentication or 2FA. This measure allows a user to enter their password, as well as needing an additional code that is randomly generated and sent to a trusted device, like a mobile phone, to allow login.

Password Managers

There are tools available to securely store and distribute passwords. Password managers make it easy for a user to securely store a password in a cloud database and access these on any device they may use. Businesses can also centrally manage passwords to distribute only to users that require them. This also allows business managers to control, change, and revoke access to passwords that users may have, on-demand.

Identity and Access Management

This goes against everything I said earlier, but sometimes having one password is better than 191. Using cloud-integrated directory and identity services can help make sure that this process is secure. This is mostly referred to as Single Sign-On or SSO. You may have seen this technology when you sign up for a new service and it asks you to “Sign in with Google” or Facebook. For businesses, this allows you even more control by being able to change passwords for devices at home or work and enforcing MFA for every device.

All of these technologies will help make your business safer and more secure. With more users working from home and businesses needing to be more compliant, password management and security will be part of everyday management. Contact us for more information.

If you have any recommendations or advice, leave a comment below!