My Password is "password"

Keeping your computer and your information safe is becoming more and more of a problem in today's connected world. Just a few years ago the main computer security problem was viruses infecting your computer from someone else's floppy disk or from an email attachment. Now that personal computers and businesses are connected with high speed connections to the Internet all day long, new threats have emerged to wreak havoc not only on your computer, but also on your personal data. Email viruses have evolved to take over your computers without your knowledge. Hackers are utilizing other people's personal computers to attack your personal computer over the Internet. Clever phishing emails are being sent in mass distribution in an attempt to steal your identity. Keeping your data and your systems secure is more difficult, but with the right technology and the right practices you can protect yourself. Note that having the right technology will go a long way to securing your data and computers, but without some basic personal and business practices all your resources on technology would be wasted. One of the most overlooked security practice is having strong passwords. You could have the best firewall, antivirus, and other security software, but would be totally vulnerable by your password or a password of one of your co-workers. Having a simple password that can be easily guessed would make your computer, email, and office network an easy target. To help you strengthen your passwords we've listed a few best practices for strong passwords.

• Don't use passwords that have your name in it or simple dictionary-based words
  
• Use separate passwords for personal accounts and business accounts.
  
• Make your passwords longer than six characters.
  
• Change your password one to three times a year.
  
• Be cautious on giving your password to anyone, especially through an email or a website.
  
• Don't write your password down on a sticky note and stick it on your monitor.
  
• Use a combination of numbers, capital letters, and/or symbols to create strong passwords.
  
• Example of a bad password: "lassie"
• Example of a strong password: "L@ssie"
  

If you have a lot of usernames and passwords to keep track of use a system that securely stores your information in a way that works for you without comprising security. You may want to use a special notebook stored in a fireproof safe. You may also use a piece of software like KeePass (http://keepass.info/) to digitally store your passwords. If you use software to store your passwords make sure you have a good backup system in place in case your computer crashes. A secure, online backup solution like Datastash (www.datastash.com) would be recommended for keeping your important information backed up.

A great way to ensure that your business is using strong passwords is to implement a password policy that is both written and enforced. You can use technology to enforce your password policy such as the Microsoft Windows Small Business Server to ensure all your users' passwords are strong and secure. If you'd like help developing a password policy for your business contact us at VOLstate. We can help you evaluate your business security risks and implement practices and technology to reduce your risks.