This February, STRATIS is expressing our love for and commitment to security and privacy. Learn more about how we are always striving for the highest level of security with reading about our SOC 2 audit here.
All organizations should prioritize security and continuously build upon measures to protect against cyberattacks. In addition to this, individuals can also take safety precautions to better prepare themselves. One dangerous commonplace practice is using the same password for various accounts.
What is the danger of the same password across multiple accounts?
It feels convenient to have one password (maybe created years ago) to use across accounts. However, if there’s a data breach for one platform, a bad actor could take that leaked password to try to hack other accounts. For example, credential stuffing is a type of cyberattack in which a bad actor runs the leaked username/email address/password combination through an application to try at a larger scale to use that combination to access other accounts.
Tools like Avast Hack Check can show if there are websites that you have an account on have been hacked.
A better practice with passwords is to create unique passwords for each account. Many platforms require secure passwords through requiring elements like at least one number, at least one symbol, etc.
A great option is a password manager, which is a tool that can create strong passwords and store them.
What does using a password manager look like?
- Instead of remembering tens of hundreds of account passwords, enter one master password to access all login credentials.
- When creating new accounts, the password manager can generate a secure, unique password and store it.
- Many password managers allow syncing across multiple devices for convenience. For example, if you have saved a new password through your desktop browser, this could also instantaneously show up for your password manager’s mobile app on your phone.
Password managers can have vulnerabilities too, which is why it is important to research the different qualities and offerings to find the best fit option for you.