Passwords aren’t just for logins. You can use them across your network to ensure the right people can access the appropriate data. As a result, you can protect your business assets from internal and external threats with improving password policies.
The world is full of passwords! Most people can remember the one to log in to their computer with, but then there are the ones for your accounts on websites. For example, banking, shopping or social media all need passwords.
One common strategy is to use a single password for everything. However, this creates a significant security risk because if someone can crack your password on one of your accounts, they will have access to all your accounts, some of which might have sensitive or personal data. Hackers use personal information and hold your data to ransom or pretend to be you to gain financial advantages.
Furthermore, you cannot solve this problem with many simple passwords that you can easily remember either because simple passwords are easy to guess for hackers.
The answer is to use a password storage tool.
In summary, you need all your passwords to be:
- long
- complex
- different for every login, not one used before
- no repeating numbers
- and stored in a tool, so you only have to remember one complex password.
In business, you can use passwords to divide your network and data. A well-designed policy will restrict access so only authorised staff can access sensitive data. The principle is to grant access only to the data, systems and services required to complete tasks efficiently.
Apply password security policies on your network
One way to use passwords to make your network more secure is by creating security policies on your network.
If you apply policies to enforce complex and regularly changing passwords, staff will find it hard to comply. So a password tool is vital.
Administrators should apply policies to comply with regulations such as Cyber Essentials, but they also need to provide the means for staff to accommodate those requirements.
Enable enhanced password policies
Having enhanced password policies means having a system that ensures everyone has sufficiently secure passwords, that they are stored correctly and that people have access to the passwords they need.
An example of a complex password that is easier to remember for a human would be:
!Green1Shedds2Gallery34$
However, an example of a computer-generated complex password that is more secure would be B2wE!y-ac4VN$oVuGOxO
These are difficult to remember, communicate and type. Not all systems will take complex passwords with all special characters. As a result, this makes it even more important to have a tool that can store all your passwords.
Set user screen timeouts
Your employees are the weak link in your security. If they go for a toilet break, go to lunch or leave the office and walk away with the screen unlocked, your company data is at risk.
Set user screen timeouts so that their screen locks itself after a certain period if the PC is unused.
Restrict user access
Furthermore, you can also restrict user access to particular files and documents at certain times. For example, staff can log in during the day but not at night.
For more information about how you can improve your password policies to keep your company data more secure, contact Northstar today.
