Longer Passwords Don’t Make You More Secure
In your own opinion? How secure are your passwords? Do you think the length has something to do with it? Well, we have news for you. Longer passwords don’t make you more secure, and here’s why.
A new study has shown that even 15-character passwords are trackable. You read that right. It’s time to accept the harsh truth that longer passwords aren’t making our passwords stronger.
Hands down, 8-character passwords are the most prone to hacking. But if yours is longer, it doesn’t necessarily make you safer. The top 10 most compromised passwords include the 15-character password.
You might think, “How could this be?” The answer is that length isn’t what is preventing a breach, but its content.
The most compromised 8-character password is none other than “password,” while the most compromised 15-character password is “Sym_newhireOEIE.”
That doesn’t make you feel safe, does it?
Passwords like that show that individuals aren’t always the problem. Businesses like yours are high risk too. A startling 86% of all cyberattacks start with credential theft. This represents almost nine out of ten attacks. Can you really afford to take it easy?
Yes, longer passwords provide more defense against brute force attacks, and we recommend it. An 8-character password can be cracked in 5 minutes. While a strong 15-character password, assuming it follows no clear pattern and is randomized with a variety of character types, could take up to 37 million years to crack. Crazy, huh?
But keep in mind that has to do with more than the length. Length itself won’t protect you from phishing attacks that steal passwords.
Employ a reliable business password manager. They will not only randomize a long password for you, but it will also store it for you.
You should also employ multi-factor authentication (MFA) which generates a code on a separate device to authenticate yourself. Cybercriminals won’t be able to access your data even if they manage to get your password.
Please get in touch today if you need help maintaining business security.
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