How safe do you believe your passwords are? Do you believe that the longer the better? We have some good news for you. It’s time to have a serious conversation about password security.
According to new study, even passwords as lengthy as 15 characters may be stolen. Yes, you read that correctly. It’s time to accept the harsh reality that length does not necessarily imply strength.
The eight-character password is the most often hacked password length. But don’t let out a sigh of relief if yours is longer. The 15-character password is also among the top 10 most hacked lengths.
“How could this be?” you may wonder. The solution rests not only in the length of the password, but also in its substance and if you use the same password on other sites.
The most breached eight-character password is “password”, whereas the most compromised 15-character password is “Sym_newhireOEIE”.
Doesn’t exactly make you feel safe, does it?
It is not simply about individuals. Businesses like yours are also vulnerable. 86% of all cyber attacks begin with stolen credentials. That amounts to approximately nine out of ten attacks. Can you afford to be complacent?
Sure, longer passwords do offer more resistance to brute force cracking. A good eight-character password can be cracked in five minutes, while a solid 15-character password can take up to 37 million years if it doesn’t follow any obvious pattern (i.e., it’s random and uses many different sorts of character). Isn’t it amazing?
But keep in mind that this is only one element of the jigsaw. Length alone will not protect you from phishing attacks that steal your credentials.
Make use of a strong enterprise password manager. It not only generates lengthy passwords at random for you, but it also remembers them and fills in the login box for you.
You should also use two factor authentication, where you generate a code on a separate device to prove its you. Even if cyber criminals crack your password, they still won’t be able to access your data.
If you need help keeping your business better protected, get in touch.