Who doesn’t love a sandwich – Hackers for a start! 

Unfortunately, ‘123456’, children’s names and football clubs are STILL the most popular passwords to use. Qwerty is high on the list too! 

We’d encourage you to take a look at the Net Primates video on password creation, presented by our Technical Director, Rupert Walmsley. You’ll learn how to cook up memorable passwords that are also personal to you by creating a ‘Password Sandwich’. The password will look random, but you’ll be able to decipher it – most importantly Hackers won’t find them delicious and may lose their appetite for you as their victim. 

Other than Rupert’s password creation method, his main piece of advice is to change that one password you KNOW needs to be changed! Obviously, if there are several over-used passwords then we’d recommend that you work your way through them all, but changing that first one will get the ball rolling. 

The next step is to think about how your business can ensure passwords are secure. Creating a Password Policy that is well-communicated companywide will help. Your policy doesn’t have to be extensive – in fact, the simpler the better so it’s easy to digest (we promise – no more food puns!).  

  • Use Password Management software to keep passwords safe and prevent passwords from having to be memorised or written on Post-it Notes… 
  • Ensure there is a password process for movers and leavers 
  • Monitor logins for suspicious behaviour 
  • Lock out inactive accounts
  • Encourage staff to report anything suspicious
  • Decide how passwords will be generated

If you have team members that are now working remotely you may wish to put even greater emphasis on password security. Homeworking poses an even greater risk of security breach than site-based working, so regular reminders and training about password security is essential. 

Passwords don’t make up the entire IT Security buffet (sorry – we couldn’t resist). There are other elements to consider using in your security armoury, such as Multi Factor Authentication. Additionally, Net Primates can provide advice on all issues surrounding IT Security alongside software that adds layers of protection. Essentially, IT security needs to take many forms but changing that first password is a great start to protecting yourself and your business.

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