Today’s tech tip is about passwords. In business we use a lot of different apps and each one needs its own unique password.
Passwords need to meet different requirements depending on whether you’re logging into your bank account or to your email software. A strong password needs to have upper and lower case letters, numbers, and a special character. I like my passwords to be at least 14 characters long as that makes it even harder to break.
You need to create a lot of passwords, make sure they meet all of these requirements, are different from one another, and track them all. That’s a lot of work!
How can we make that easier?
A good password manager will do all of this for you. It can generate a strong password based on the requirements of your software and keep track of all your passwords in one place.
You can set the password manager so it creates a password that meets whatever requirement you need. Some sites want letters and numbers only, and others require a special character. It can be set for a minimum number of characters such as the 14 characters I recommend.
Here’s an example of how to create a generated password from LastPass, a popular password manager.
You can choose a minimum password length, the types of characters allowed, and you can make it easy to say or read.
For a strong password, longer is better. Also, use all of the options to include Uppercase, Lowercase, Numbers, and Symbols.
Next to the password there’s a symbol that allows you to copy it so you can paste it directly into the site.
A password manager will also include the option to fill password which automatically copies the password to the form.
Password managers require you to remember one password – the one to open the software. It’s important that you make this something you can remember and that meets strong password rules.
Let’s make this easier. Create a silly phrase that only you know the meaning. An example could be your dog wears a blue collar and loves to play in the leaves could turn into BlueDogsEatGreenLeaves. Then add a special character and a number. Now you have BlueDogsEat@47GreenLeaves. This is a fantastic way to create a very strong password that you can remember.
Another excellent feature of password managers for business owners is that they allow you to securely share your passwords with someone else.
When you need to hire someone to help you in your business, they need a way to access your email, website, or other software programs. A password manager allows you to share your logins so that your password isn’t visible. You can always remove sharing in the password manager when you are done.
It’s important to share your password securely. When you send your password via email or text the information is not secure. This is one of the ways hackers can get access to your account. If you use the same password on multiple accounts, they now have access to all of those accounts too!
Today’s Tips:
- Use strong passwords
- Use a password manager to track and share passwords
- Use long silly phrases with numbers and special characters that are easy to remember
- Don’t share passwords through email or text
Leave a Reply