The majority of hacking-related breaches were due to poor or weak password choices and usage. Are your passwords strong enough to withstand an attack?
Even if you have a strong password, what happens if you need to share them for whatever reason? Sharing passwords from streaming services or social media sites with friends and family is different than sharing work passwords.
If you’re looking to share passwords securely, we’ve got you covered. Here’s our guide to sharing passwords without compromising data security.
Strong and Secure Passwords
The first tip is to make sure your password is strong and secure. Things that are easy to remember like “password123” or “iloveyou” won’t work.
Generating a complicated password ensures your safety. It’s harder to memorize and pass on to others.
Change Passwords Often
It’s a good idea to switch up your password around every three months. That way if you frequently give it out, you can find out who’s using it when you cut them off and then re-add them if you still want them to have access.
Updating your password often is just good security sense. If anyone gets one of your passwords, they’ll find themselves cut off as soon as you update.
Use Password Software
Let technology do the heavy lifting and use password security software to keep your access safe and secure. Depending on the kind you get, you can find software that works across multiple apps and log ins and can help you restrict outside access.
Plus it makes it easy to have a one stop shop to log in to so many accounts. You can also use it with your phone while on the go.
Don’t Use One Password
As tempting as it may be, don’t use the same password across multiple accounts. If a hacker gets a hold of it, they’ll try to plug it in more places to see where else they can get in.
Don’t use variations of the same words either. Changing “password123” to “password456” poses the same kind of risk if it’s easy to guess.
What Not To Do
There are certain password sharing habits that are worse than others. How many of these security sins are you guilty of?
Don’t share passwords over email or text message. They’re easy to hack, not secured, and often relayed through different servers or cell towers.
Sticky notes, random pieces of paper, or notebooks easily get lost or damaged. Don’t lose your precious password on a piece of scrap paper that gets mistakenly thrown away.
How to Share Passwords Securely
If you need to share your password but you need to be safe, these tips and tricks will give you the power to maintain digital integrity. There’s a way to do it without compromising your accounts and now you have a few ways you can do it.
The best way to share passwords securely is to revoke your password as soon as you’re done sharing. That way, you know your accounts are intact.
Looking for more ways to stay safe online? Check out our free webtools and our other online safety articles!