Get Smart About Your Password
You shared your password … now I know all your secrets. Don’t get exposed — be smart about your password!
The attacker who writes my code is on the hunt for your password. Once he gets it, he inserts me, Mal Ware, into your network so he can see all the information that your employees need to keep private. I love taking secrets that aren’t mine and using them to do bad things. So don’t make it easy for me or your attacker.
Here are ways you can protect your information from my malicious intentions:
- Keep your password to yourself. It’s supposed to be secret — so don’t share it!
- Don’t be fooled by what others may say:
- IT support does not need your password.
- Your coworkers do not need your password to read your email. Share your inbox with another user or use a team email account.
- Your assistant doesn’t need your password to do his/her job. You can give others access to your Outlook calendar and email.
- Share file folder access with specific coworkers to avoid password sharing.
- You don’t need to share your password with others to access the same sites or content management systems. Everyone with duties assigned on a system should have his/her own login and password.
- Be creative to make your password uniquely yours:
- Use a variety of symbols, letters, capital letters and numbers.
- Avoid using words related to your company.
- Avoid sequences or repetition of letters or numbers, words spelled backward, common misspellings or abbreviations.
- Encourage others to be smart about their passwords. Make them aware of the threats that are out there if they share them, because once I have access to the network, I have access to everyone and everything.
- A data breach could embarrass you and/or your company … or much worse.
It’s not difficult to avoid my threats. Just don’t share your password with anyone, and be smart when creating it. Protect, don’t neglect, your password! For more information, check out www.us-cert.gov.
Lisa Martin
CEO
LeapFrog Solutions, Inc.
LeapFrog Solutions (LFS) is a certified woman owned small business based in Fairfax, Virginia. Founded in 1996, we are a trusted source for commercial businesses and federal agencies seeking full spectrum creative solutions and exceptional program management. This blogpost is brought to you by GTSC in partnership with LeapFrog Solutions. For more information on cyber awareness campaigns contact Anjali Dighe at 703.539.6127 or [email protected].
