How secure is your password?

How certain are you that the passwords you use are secure?

A secure password is made up of random letters, numbers, and characters with a minimum length of 8 characters. Strong passwords can be challenging to remember, which is why passwords are frequently reused. Reusing passwords helps you remember them but also makes it easy for cybercriminals to access your personal information. It's crucial to learn the best practises for making sure your passwords are secure to avoid having your data compromised.

What dangers can a weak password cause?
Your online security is greatly threatened by weak passwords, which are easily cracked and give access to sensitive personal data like your bank account, home address, and contact details. Some traits of weak passwords include:

Using dictionary words like "hello", "desk", "phone", etc.
Using passwords like 123bnm456 and 123zxcv that are made up of keyboard characters that are close to one another. These passwords might appear strong, but using sequential key variations, they can be easily cracked.
Creating a password with no more than six characters.
80% of successful data breaches are the result of weak or compromised passwords. Your confidential information, network access, and intellectual property are frequently only protected by passwords!

The use of weak passwords and practices like reusing passwords makes it easier for cybercriminals to gain access to your information through cyberattacks that utilize common password lists. Here are some examples of cyberattacks that can succeed if weak passwords are used:

Credential Stuffing
- When an attacker already knows your username and password combination—often obtained from data breaches—this is known as credential stuffing. Then, in an effort to log in as you, attackers will send automated requests with these username and password combinations. Attackers may be able to change your account settings, take your identity, or even steal sensitive data if they are successful.
Password Spraying
- When an attacker attempts to log into multiple accounts on a single domain using common passwords, this is known as password spraying (also known as a password spray attack). If the users aren't using strong passwords, an attacker could potentially access hundreds of accounts with a single attack using a list of popular passwords like 123456, password1, and more.

Keeper Security explain here how to generate a secure password. Keeper offer the leading password manager and digital vault for storing passwords, financial information, and other sensitive documents. If you want to learn more about Keeper, you can book a one-on-one with me here.