Hackers are always on the lookout for your data. And they love it when you make it easy for them.
Never assume your passwords are impossible to guess. There are all sorts of ways in which someone who wants to maliciously access your accounts can learn or work out what your passwords are.
If you aren’t taking sensible steps to protect yourself, all they need is a little work. Or a little luck.
Some of the most popular online activities which people enjoy every single day give criminals all sorts of clues about our passwords…
Social media – giving clues to criminals
This is particularly true if you’re on social media. It’s estimated that there are 2.77 billion users of social networks around the world.
That’s great for hackers. Because people love to talk about themselves. You and your staff could easily be giving away all sorts of clues about your company’s security when you do things like:
- Check into tourist attractions – Was is an unforgettable trip? Makes for an unforgettable password base too…
- Celebrate your birthday – those are some numbers you’re likely to remember and use…
- Share photos of your gorgeous new puppy – aww isn’t he cute? There’s a name you want to be reminded of – perhaps when you’re creating a new password…
Whenever you hand out information about yourself, you’re giving cyber criminals an opportunity to build a profile of you and guess your passwords. In fact, we’ve written a whole guide about terrifying password stats which prove your business is at risk.
Device security and phone hijacking
And then there are the thousands of mobile devices which get lost every day. It only takes a second to leave a phone on a train. But the repercussions can last for months.
In the worst-case scenario, with your mobile device in their hands, a hacker may fraudulently gain access with a story about how they (you) lost the phone and – armed with your name, date of birth, address and other information you’ve given away online – convince your mobile provider to port access to your accounts over to their phone.
Protect your business with multi-factor authentication
This is why you need proven protection. Multi-factor authentication backed up with a password manager is one of the better ways to make sure that you and your organisation are protected.
Multi-factor authentication means that you need to present your system with at least two different proofs of your identity or evidence (referred to as “factors”) to gain access. These are usually split into:
- Something you know (such as a PIN, TAN or password)
- Something you have (such as an ID card, USB stick or key)
- Something you are (such as your fingerprint, voiceprint or other biometric information)
- Somewhere you are (using GPS to verify your location on log-in)
This combination is a solid way to start protecting your organisation.
If you’re not using a minimum of two-factor authentication, you’re risking even something as simple as celebrating your birthday on social media giving away too many secrets for safety.
Don’t take a risk with your online identity. Contact us today to find out how to make your data harder to compromise. Give us a call on 0117 369 4335 or fill in this form.
Dial A Geek already helps hundreds of Bristol businesses make their cyber security better as well as easier.
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