Password management in network security is one of the most important aspects of cybersecurity for all kinds of businesses to ensure your company’s digital assets stay safe. Passwords have been around for many years and are one of the most popular cybersecurity measures.
Almost all activities online, using software and hardware are password protected. At the same time, passwords are the easiest targets for hackers because of the human element.
Weak passwords, using the same password for many sites, etc, put your data at risk. This is where a password management system comes into play. By remembering one master password you are strengthening your password security immensely.
What is password management in system security for your business?
Password management is much more than creating strong passwords and changing them frequently. Shared account password management is an implemented cyber security system that takes care of all login information but also sensitive data transferred between one computer to another.
Personal password management is exposed to just a few risks that should be taken into account when creating passwords. Identity theft is just one of them, that is why banks and official sites will make you change your password every few months and have multi-factor authentication on top of that.
For businesses, it is much more important, as you have people working on the same servers. Password management helps keep track of activities and login times for those servers.
Why Is Password Management in Network Security Important?
Imagine your passwords as a set of keys to important parts of your private and business information. If a key is stolen or lost, it is compromised. The same happens with passwords. When using the same password or variations for many sites, it makes all of your passwords at risk.
If you want to keep your company safe, you should have a trustworthy password management system in use. Psono enterprise password manager software is the best way to store passwords, keep track of access to your programs and systems, and much more.
Why password security is important to ensure network's security?
The password strength is a critical part of network security since it protects the whole system. The stronger a password is, the higher it protects user accounts, and the fewer chances hackers have to get into the system - hence protecting your entire network.
How do you manage passwords in network security?
The safest way to manage passwords in network security is to use a password manager. A password manager will not only generate passwords for you but also allow you to use them on multiple devices, encrypt your data and keep track of activities on user profiles.
1) Use strong passwords
A password managers job is to keep all your data safe on the cloud storage or your own device. There are many options to choose from and they all vary in security and necessity of the user.
2) Go for local password storage
Local password storage is very popular amongst cyber security specialists since it is much harder to breach. This guarantees that all your passwords are secured on your device and can't be hacked through the internet.
3) Train your team on the best practices
Even with the best password manager in the world, it is crucial to train your team on safe cyber security practices. For instance, changing new passwords every so often, choosing a unique password for each platform, and being aware of the system’s overall security.
Biggest threats to Network Security
Here are some of the biggest threats to network security that you should look out for.
- Social Engineering. 90% of all social engineering techniques include phishing. The main aspect is to psychologically manipulate users to gain access to sensitive, valuable information. Usually, it is done by impersonating a reputable institution, like a bank to access other users’ credit card information and more.
- Computer viruses. These are usually downloaded through attachments on emails or other websites and compromise your computer. They can steal data on one device, spread it through one computer to another, disable a user security, send spam, and more.
- Ransomware. It is a type of malware that can steal your data or lock your device and demand ransom in order to release it. Normally, ransomware involves tech savvy and highly experienced members of staff.
- Rogue Security Software. This malicious software makes the user believe that their security is not up to date or is compromised and offers to download and update a security software that is actually the malware itself.
- Attacks on the Cloud. Since most of our information is stored in the cloud in a centralized location, it is at risk. Since the beginning of the pandemic, the use of cloud storage has increased by 50% across all industries. So, naturally, more hackers would target it with a lot more information to be gathered.
What are the basic rules for password management?
There are a few simple rules for safe shared account password management that will increase the security of your information.
- Never share your password with anyone, ever. This may be especially hard when working with many colleagues. A much better way is to delegate permission to access. This way no sensitive data is shared. A password manager allows a company to share logins with the employees without them knowing or ever seeing the passwords.
- Change your password regularly and when it may be compromised. If you feel that your account has been compromised or accessed from elsewhere, change your password and log out from all devices. That being said, even without these indications, a password should be changed regularly to add an extra layer of security.
- Generate passwords that are “strong”. Use a password manager that will generate strong and unique passwords for both your software and web applications. Also, get used to using passphrases instead of a regular password, it’s one of the best sustainable practices to protect your network.
- Don't store passwords in an insecure manner. Increase your password security by not writing down passwords or creating a file on one device that has all of your passwords. The best way is to keep them in a secure encrypted vault.
- Don't use the same password for more than one account. Even the best password becomes compromised when used more than once.
What are the four 4 best practices for passwords?
These are a few practices that everyone should follow for their password management:
- Training. The first step is to train your team. Every individual should be aware of all the security measures and keep their login credentials safe.
- Enforce strong passwords. All passwords should be created following the best network security practices.
- Multi-factor authentication or two-factor authentication. The easiest way is to use password managers services.
- Never ask for a user's password. As we stated before, passwords shouldn't be exchanged.
What is a good password?
The ideal password is a secure passphrase that is easy to remember but hard to crack. It should never be shared or written down so it isn't compromised. It should consist of letters, numbers, and other symbols. Special characters are encouraged to increase security. Several password managers will offer a password generator as a service to create the strongest passwords.
To access the data on a password manager you will need a master password that should also be created following our guidelines.
The most important thing that matters for a good password is length. The more characters it has, the harder it is to guess because the number of combinations increases. Of course, the exception to this would be your full name followed by your birth data.
Recommendations for a strong password
- Make it long. Aim for 15 characters or more if possible.
- Mix up your characters. Use a mix of all the characters to strengthen your password.
- Avoid common number substitutions, like using zeros to spell O's and so on.
- Don't use letters or numbers that are sequential on your keyboard. Qwerty and 12345 are the most obvious to avoid.
- Try using passphrases of things that are not easily connected to make strong passwords without the need to overcomplicate them.
- Don't reuse a strong password. That beats the whole purpose and makes it vulnerable to a cyber attack.
How are passwords stolen?
According to a recent study of data, 53% of people use the same password everywhere. A research analysis of 11 million stolen passwords conducted by Skyhigh Networks has found that just 20 passwords constitute 10.3% of all passwords in use.
Hackers have many ways that use to get sensitive information. One way is to buy passwords on the dark web.
Passwords can also be stolen by trying all letter and number combinations possible and all the words out of a dictionary. Of course, this isn’t a manual process and, instead, hackers make applications for this purpose. So even when you are creating a witty long passphrase, don't use full words or their correct spelling. Play around with different ways to shorten words and use more of them like building a sentence that only you can understand.
Your data can be stolen even when using password managers services. If you create a weak master password or compromise it in any way that makes it vulnerable to an attack, a hacker could gain access to all of your information.
- How long does it take to crack a password?
You can choose from many free online tools to check the strength of your passwords. We have compiled a simple data analysis so you can see how the use of common symbols affects the strength of your password.
| Password | Length of password | Time to crack |
|---|---|---|
| myname1 | 7 characters | instant |
| my_name1 | 8 characters | 20 seconds |
| my_nameis1 | 10 characters | 1 day |
| my_na!meis15 | 12 characters | 12 years |
| kuhjnKJBZhjnukm | 15 characters | 145.479 years |
| :@H]'Ims*~{2I7WsXF@b | 20 characters | never |
Frequently asked questions
Here are some of the most frequently asked questions that may concern you about cyber security and password management.
Why is password management important for security in a network?
The stronger your password, the safer your system and network. Password management will help create stronger passwords, changing them regularly, and eventually protect you from cyber-attacks. It’s essential for businesses dealing with a lot of data. It is a whole system that should be implemented for storing passwords in password vaults, creating them, and keeping track of their usage.
How many passwords are cracked every day?
Roughly one million passwords are stolen every day. Using a password manager will increase security so you can keep your information safe. . This is due to using the same password for every account, using simple ones, and not using a password manager like Psono.
How to increase your network safety with a password manager?
Use a password manager and a really good master password and two-factor authentication to access your stored passwords. Don't use the same password for more than one account and follow best practices for online security. Most password managers have an extension for web browsers and a password vault to add an extra layer of security.
