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Passwords! We’ve all got them, and we all know their importance in our lives, but that doesn’t always stop us from doing our best to ensure they’re 100% safe.

 

And in business, that’s a really worrying thing.

 

With the rise in Cybercrime, it’s crazy to think we’re still choosing passwords that are effortlessly guessed to protect our most valuable information.

 

In fact, it was recently revealed that among the top 25 commonly used passwords, ‘Starwars’* is now a trend.

 

Whoever thought ‘the force is strong with this one’ is, quite frankly, on another planet.

 

Other popular passwords include: ‘abc123’, ‘letmein’, ‘football’ and of course, the ever popular ‘password’.

 

But, as 59%** of business owners suffered a digital security breach in 2014, would you dare take such a huge risk with weak passwords in your business?

 

It’s a welcoming thought that new security system technology, such as face recognition, biometrics, fob cards etc. are enabling business owners to sharpen up their security…

 

…and after 97%** of business owners admitted they are considering new authentication methods (such as face recognition or fingerprint scanning) it could spell the dawning of a new age in security.

 

But for now, if you’re concerned your passwords are more crystal than cryptic, here are a few suggestions the team at Welcome Gate have put together for you:

 

1- Ensure your passwords are of eight characters or more with a mix of characters.

 

8 characters = 645 trillion combinations
9 characters = 45 quadtrillion combinations
10 characters = 3 quintrillion combinations

 

2- Avoid using the same password for multiple accounts

 

According to Halock Security Labs, 66%* of internet users keep only 1 or 2 passwords across all of their accounts!

 

3- Use a password manager such as ‘Dashline’ – it’s free and keeps all your passwords in one, safe place.

 

*Source: BBC News Beat 

 

**Source: FindBiometrics