That long password isn’t keeping you better protected

Ever wondered about the strength of your passwords? Do you think having a longer password equates to better security? It's high time we dive into a critical discussion on securing your passwords.
long password

Ever wondered about the strength of your passwords? Do you think having a longer password equates to better security? It’s high time we dive into a critical discussion on securing your passwords.

Recent studies unveil a hard truth: even passwords stretching up to 15 characters aren’t immune to breaches. Yes, that’s a fact we need to grasp—length does not directly correlate with security.

Predominantly, passwords with eight characters find themselves most vulnerable and frequently cracked. However, don’t get too comfortable if your password is lengthier; those with 15 characters are also amongst the most frequently breached.

You might ponder, “Why is this happening?” The real security of your password hinges on its complexity and uniqueness, rather than merely its length. It’s crucial to evaluate not just how long your password is, but what it’s made up of and whether it’s reused across different platforms.

The champion of compromised eight-letter passwords is, believe it or not, ‘password’ itself. On the other hand, ‘Sym_newhireOEIE’ takes the dubious honor for 15-character passwords.

Kind of unsettling, isn’t it?

It’s not just individuals at risk here – businesses, potentially like yours, are in the danger zone too. A staggering 86% of cyber attacks are initiated through stolen login details. That’s almost nine out of every ten attacks. Can you really afford to take that risk?

Now, while longer passwords do indeed put up a better fight against brute force attacks, it’s not as simple as just adding more characters. An eight-character password might fold in five minutes, but a robust 15-character one? Well, if it’s truly random and uses a variety of characters, it could stand strong for up to 37 million years. Pretty impressive, right?

But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Password length is just one piece of the security puzzle. It won’t protect you from phishing attacks aiming to swipe your credentials right from under your nose.

Enter the business password manager: your new best friend. It generates long, complex passwords and remembers them so you don’t have to. Plus, it even fills them in for you when it’s time to log in.

And let’s not forget about two-factor authentication. It’s like having a second line of defense, requiring a code from a separate device to verify it’s really you. Even if a hacker gets your password, without that code, they’re out of luck.

Need help beefing up your business’s cyber defenses? We’re here for you. Just give us a shout.