McAfee | World Password Day – 07 May, 2020

“Passwords hold the key to our digital lives – from financial information to corporate documentation, personal photos and more. They are the first line of defence in safeguarding vital online information from cybercriminals. We tend to create and use multiple accounts for personal and professional use – more the accounts, the more user names and passwords we seem to accumulate. Data breaches are making headlines and our poor password habits are fuelling the fire. In the event of a breach, compromised login credentials and passwords are sold on the darknet for a bargain. Hackers attempt using those credentials to access as many accounts as possible, fully aware that people often use the same password for multiple accounts.

Cybercriminals often reference the most common password combinations as their first login-guessing tool. Use complex passwords and well-built passphrases that you can memorise. If possible, passwords should consist of at least 12 or more characters. Layer up your passwords and use a combination of numbers, letters and special characters. Choose unique passwords across all of your accounts. To make life easier, use a password manager to keep track of multiple accounts. Wherever possible, opt for two-factor or multi-factor authentication for an extra layer of security, as it requires multiple levels of verification.

The 5Ps (Passwords, Phishing, People, Patching and Privileges) are the most common causes for breaches. Passwords would certainly be one of the top P’s to manage, to ensure you stay safe online.

This World Password Day, review your defence and diligently revamp your passwords.” – Venkat Krishnapur, Vice President of Engineering and Managing Director, McAfee India