The internet is starting to look like the Wild West. In January 2021, a breach at Microsoft left more than 280 million customer records unprotected. Data breaches are costing millions of dollars to deal with, and they’re growing more expensive as time passes.  Many people think that data breaches are the result of complicated hacking. In reality, poor password security is to blame for many breaches.  What are the worst ways to store your password? What are ways you can keep passwords safe? How can you create safe passwords that are impossible for hackers to guess?  Answer these questions and you can prevent devastating losses of data through simple steps. Here is your quick guide. Telling Someone Your Password Telling someone your password is the definition of bad security. It does not matter if the person you tell is someone you trust or an IT professional. They may write down your password and have it stolen off of them.  Never tell anyone what your password is. Share as few details about your accounts as possible, including what your usernames are. In a phishing scam, a hacker will impersonate a trusted person and ask you for your password. Remember that administrators and representatives of companies like Facebook will never ask you for your account details. Learn how to avoid phishing scams by checking details in messages like email addresses. Writing the Password Down on a Sheet of Paper Many people write their passwords on sticky notes or in journals. Many hackers know this, so they will look at a person’s documents to find their information. Some hackers look through trash and repair shredded documents so they can gain access.  Memorize your password by reading it over several times. You can mouth it to yourself, but do not say it out loud.  If you do write a password down on a piece of paper, do not just scratch it out. Write words over it to make it impossible to read. Rip the paper into several pieces and sprinkle the pieces across a few trash bins. Sending a Password in an Email  Writing your password into an email is just as bad of an idea as writing it down on paper. Emails are not encrypted, so anyone can read your emails once they gain access to your account. Some emails pass through servers that hackers can access without your knowledge. If you must store your password on your computer, you have better options than emails. You can use a password manager, which will log your passwords and help you create new ones.  Be aware of the liabilities of a password manager. You need to make sure that other people cannot view your manager. Do not tell anyone that you have one and do not have it open at all times. You should also take steps to secure your emails. You can enable confidential modes that will lock your emails behind passwords. Consider getting a secure server for your company’s internet and email connections. Using Instant Messages Instant messages are encrypted, unlike emails. Yet many people leave instant messaging apps open while they do other things. A hacker may need only a quick glance at your friend’s screen to see what your password is.  You should always assume that anything you send to anyone else is accessible to everyone else. Even if you have encryption, your message can be decrypted.  If you have something sensitive you need to tell someone, talk to them face-to-face. People can hack into your phone or your microphone on your computer and listen to your conversation. Try to go to a place where others will not hear you. Using Online Documents Google Docs and note-taking apps are designed to store text, not confidential information. As a result, they do not have strong encryption and they are easily accessible. Someone just needs to steal your laptop in order to access them.  Be very careful with your laptop and smartphone. Keep them on your person at all times. If you must put them down, put them in a locked room or safe so someone cannot access them. Password security applies to the passwords for your computer and phone. Do not tell someone what they are. Keep your online documents from others by enabling two-factor encryption. You will need a strong password and a phone that receives text messages. Needing a phone can be enough to deter an intruder from trying to hack your accounts. Making a Password a Biographical Detail There are many bad ideas that inspire people to create passwords. Some people make their account name or real name their password.  This is the worst storage option available to you. Your names will be the first things that hackers type in when they try to guess your password.  When you create a password, you should create one that has nothing to do with you. You can pick random words or characters if you would like.  If you’re concerned about memorizing your password, create one using the first words of a sentence you know. Try to add numbers and special characters as an extra layer of protection. “I thrive best hermit style with a beard and a pipe” can become “!ItBHSw1B2aaP.” Promoting Your Password Security Password security does not have to be hard. Never share your password with anyone. Do not write your email down, even in an instant message. The only safe way to keep your password on your computer is with a password manager. You should otherwise try to keep your password in your head.  Never use biographical details for passwords, as they are easy to guess. Throw in random characters or convert a sentence into a password. Get the tools you need for internet safety. LogMeOnce offers premium security products at affordable prices. Examine our password manager today.

Can your business survive if a hacker steals $1 million from your bank account? A single cyberattack can wipe out your business overnight. Losing significant funds and customer trust is detrimental for many companies. Business cybersecurity rules help you avoid the dangers of a cyberattack. Companies must prioritize digital security for their survival. The cyber-world is complex. However, a few fundamental business cybersecurity rules will keep the intruders at bay. Incorporate these business cybersecurity rules to enhance your company’s digital security.  1. Enable Two-Step Authentication Two-Step Authentication is an easy way to protect your business. After users enter their username and password, they will receive an additional prompt.  The user will receive an email or text message containing a unique code. The code expires within a few minutes to thwart hackers.  Two-step authentication makes it harder for hackers to access employee accounts. These hackers will need the username, password, and expiring verification code. The hacker must also wait for the exact moment an employee logs into their account.  This extra layer of protection will significantly boost digital security. However, your company can do more to enhance business cybersecurity. 2. Periodically Change Business Passwords Two-Step Authentication comes in handy if a hacker obtains username and password details. However, don’t test your luck. Changing passwords further protects your business. A hacker does not need every employees’ login details. Some hackers only need one employee’s details to inflict damage on your business. Hackers can obtain an employee’s login details from another cybersecurity attack. People often use the same username and password for multiple websites. Asking employees to change their passwords every 6-8 weeks will increase digital security. Business password tips like this one keep your company safe. A hacker may obtain a password, but that password may get changed when they try to attack. 3. Train Employees Every Quarter The best business cybersecurity rules revolve around employee empowerment. Investing in your employees’ education will pay great dividends. Employees will appreciate the training, and it will enhance your company’s digital security. Every quarter, offer cybersecurity training to your employees. You can do it in person or via a webinar. You can either train your employees or hire a cybersecurity expert. Short, quarterly training sessions strike a proper balance. You don’t want to overwhelm and annoy your employees with too many training sessions. Too much of anything can become a bad thing. However, you also want to empower your employees to protect themselves from hackers. These training sessions will also help your employees stay safe outside your company. 4. Create Reporting Procedures Every business should adopt cybersecurity policies. However, some businesses get hacked regardless of their efforts. What should employees do if your company gets hacked? Reporting procedures help employees inform you about threats and attacks. Discovering a cyberattack at the moment can mitigate damage. You can move important files, change passwords, and force logout every employee. Create a special email address your employees can report cyber-attacks and threats. These procedures will leave your business better prepared for an attack. 5. Create Backup Copies of Important Documents Once inside your system, a hacker can cause havoc. They may access essential documents and delete them from your system. Losing important documents can set some businesses back several years.  Anticipate a cyber attack by creating a backup. If a hacker deletes your documents, you can upload your backup copies to a new cloud server.  Keep backup copies on a separate cloud service away from employees. The top-secret nature of these backup copies will reduce the number of entrances for a hacker. 6. Secure Your Wi-Fi Network Not every business thinks about its Wi-Fi network as a liability. These networks allow your employees to access the internet and seem harmless. However, hackers will try to access your Wi-Fi network. If they enter your network, they can do the following: Track users by their devices Compromise passwords Discover and reveal information about where a person works or travels Hackers can learn sensitive information by hacking into your Wi-Fi Network. Mobile Wi-Fi devices presented the added risk of easy tracking across locations. Use a secure, encrypted, and hidden Wi-Fi network. Make sure only your employees can see your company’s Wi-Fi network.  A wireless access point or router allows you to hide your Wi-Fi network. This setup does not broadcast the network name to the public. Use a password to protect access to the router, and change it at least once per quarter. Do not reuse passwords for your Wi-Fi network or use something predictable. Hackers can conduct millions of password attempts in a few days. They use generic passwords for these attempts.  A strong password will help, but take extra steps to protect your Wi-Fi network. 7. Limit Employee Authority Giving employees access to cloud management software lets them quickly access documents. However, employees do not need access to every business document. Limiting access to certain documents gives hackers fewer opportunities to access those documents. You should also restrict who gets to install software on work computers.  Internet software can contain viruses and give hackers easy access to sensitive information. Limiting employee authority decreases the likelihood of a cyberattack. Prioritize Business Cybersecurity Hackers continue to get smarter each day. Business cybersecurity helps keep them out of your business.  Password management represents your best defense against hackers. LogMeOnce keeps those passwords secure and protects important documents. Contact us today to see how we can assist with your business cybersecurity efforts.

Data security is no joke, as about 9 million Americans have their identity stolen each year. But keeping your information protected has never been more challenging. Personal data, such as bank account information, usernames, and passwords, are often stored online and on our devices. Clever hackers can find and decrypt this information, giving them access to your accounts. That’s why many people are choosing to invest in data security tools, including password managers. But what do password managers do, and what are the benefits of installing one? Let’s find out! What Is a Password Manager? A password manager is an application that can log your passwords and save them. It can also protect your passwords, making it far more difficult for hackers to guess or decrypt them. Powerful password managers also tend to offer additional data security services or features. They work on multiple devices (iOS, Android, PC) and can keep your online data safe. What Are the Benefits? Some fundamental password managers are free to use, but others may charge monthly subscription fees. As such, you might feel uncertain about investing in a password manager. However, these data protection applications offer some unique and significant advantages are: Increased Information Security, and Convenience and Ease of Use A password manager can keep your passwords secure by encrypting them and saving them to a secure internal database. It can also keep a log of your passwords, ensuring that you never forget them. If you’re someone that has several online accounts across multiple platforms, a password manager could end up saving your hours. It’s also a great way to keep smartphone apps logged in and secured.   Be sure to look for a password manager that offers multi-factor authentication. These will add an extra layer of security to your accounts. With this system set in place, you’ll also receive notifications of suspicious login attempts. Accounts with multiple potential hacks may be sensitive or insecure. With this info, you can take steps to protect your data. That said, a password manager works best when it’s combined with smart password creation techniques. Tips for Creating Passwords While data protection software is an excellent investment, you can also take steps to create safer passwords, no software necessary. Some of the best do’s and don’ts for generating top-notch passwords include: Don’t Use Short Passwords Don’t Use Personal Information Do Use Different Cases Do Implement Numbers Do Use Different Passwords Do Use Phrases Let’s take a few minutes to explore these tips and tricks. That way, you can avoid the dangers of creating a weak password. Remember, the stronger your passwords, the more secure your personal data! Don’t Use Short Passwords How long are your passwords? If the general answer is, “Less than ten characters,” you’ll want to change habits. Longer passwords are almost always more secure. After all, decrypting programs will need to work longer to confirm each character. So, if your password is ‘House22’, it will be far easier to guess than ‘EstablishmentBuilding22’.  Don’t Use Personal Information Using any kind of personal information as part of your password is a bad idea. For example, birthdays, names, pet names, and even addresses can be terrible passwords. That’s because much of your personal information may be available online. Hackers can use this published data to guess your passwords. If you’re using personal information, you’re unintentionally giving identity thieves a helping hand! Do Use Different Cases Are you typing your password in all capital letters or lowercase letters? If so, your password might be weaker than you think! Using different cases is an excellent way to add a little security to your password. So instead of using ‘DougMachupo386’, you could use ‘douGmAchUpo386’. This small change does add time to the decryption process, potentially saving your account from hackers. Do Implement Numbers Passwords that are only alphabetical text might be easier to guess. Implementing numbers is a great way to make your password more complex and challenging to decrypt. That said, there’s one general don’t when it comes to using numbers in passwords: Don’t use numbers that link to personal information. These might be birthdays, PINs, or anniversaries. Numbers that are linked to your personal information or identity may be easier to guess. For that reason, it’s always best to use a random series of numbers that have no ties to your interests or data.  Do Use Different Passwords Are you using the same password for all of your online accounts? If so, you’ll want to change your passwords right away! If you’re only using one password for all your accounts, dubious data thieves can quickly unlock and access them after guessing one password. Using a different password for each account is far safer. Of course, remembering all those passwords can be challenging. That’s why you’ll want to invest in a password management system!  Do Use Phrases Using a single word for your password is dangerous. Even with added numerals or punctuation, singular words are far easier to guess or decrypt than multiple words. Consequently, it’s an excellent idea to use phrases as passwords. However, these shouldn’t be everyday expressions. Instead, try to think of something bizarre or something that only makes sense to you. Inside jokes work wonderfully as passwords, so long as you haven’t posted those jokes online. Remember, skillful hackers can track your online presence and activity by monitoring your IPS address and accounts. Using phrases that aren’t tied to your pre-existing accounts is crucial. For example, if you often post online about your passion for geology, ‘GeologyFan54’ might not be a great choice for a password. Protect Your Information Today Protecting your information starts with proper password creation and management. However, keeping track of all your different passwords can be challenging. Fortunately, top-notch data security software can help. If you’re looking for a capable password management system, be sure to check out LogMeOnce! Not only will you find a password-less password management service, but you’ll also find other great data security tools. Are you ready to upgrade your online security? Then, be sure to

Is Apple iCloud Keychain good to use for passwords? Apple’s iCloud Keychain is a password manager. It’s built into every Mac, iPhone and iPad. It’s easy to use, because you can generate safe, complex passwords quickly. Then, it will fill those complex passwords in automatically when you are using Safari web browser. It can store other sensitive personal information as well. According to Apple, iCloud Keychain stores: internet accounts, passwords, usernames, wifi passwords, credit card numbers, credit card expiration dates, but not the credit card security code, and more. Like all good password managers, iCloud Keychain uses 256-it AES encryption technology to protect data. The data is encrypted before it leaves your device, so that means that no one else can access your data, even when the data is stored in the cloud to sync between your devices. If the data would be hacked, it would remain encrypted and inaccessible. That also means that if you forget your master passcode that you create when you set up Apple iCloud Keychain, Apple can’t help you recover that. For Mac users, Apple iCloud Keychain can be a convenient solution. However, if you want to share a password with someone else, or if you want a password manager that can be used among your family or business, Apple iCloud Keychain isn’t useful. If you want to share passwords with your family or team, or give temporary access to someone, or organize your company’s passwords and accounts, a password manager is one of the best ways to do that. A password manager saves passwords and auto-fills for you when you log into your accounts the next time, but it gives you more features to organize, share, and protect your information. Password managers are convenient because they can install in any web browser–not just Safari on a Mac or iPhone or iPad. Our password manager, LogMeOnce, is designed specifically with business and enterprise users in mind. LogMeOnce makes it easy to: Set different levels of security Offer flexibility among users for how they prefer to log into their LogMeOnce accounts Manage users from an admin dashboard Organize passwords as you’d like (for example, by client, or project, or type of accounts) Give and retract access to passwords to another user when you want Add other features like Dark Web Monitoring or Cloud Encryption to extend protection for your data and files You can sign up for free for LogMeOnce personal use, or get a 7-day trial to use for your business and share with your team. Sign up for personal use: Sign up for teams/enterprise/business: Sign up for teams/enterprise/business:

Cybersecurity is one of the most important topics in today’s business world. Cyberattacks have increased exponentially over the past few years, and cybersecurity experts predict that this trend will only continue to grow. This means that your data security has never been more crucial than it is now. But how can you protect yourself? That’s why we put together a list of cybersecurity tips for small businesses. We hope these cybersecurity tips help you out. 1. Have Clear Security Protocols in Place One of the most important things you can do to protect your business from cybersecurity threats is to have clear security protocols. This might seem like a no-brainer, but many businesses don’t actually take this step. It’s easy to think that you know how best to protect yourself from cybersecurity threats but then end up taking steps that make your company more vulnerable than it needs to be. Sit down and write out a step-by-step plan for what to do in the case of a cybersecurity threat. Some of the things to think about include: Which information is sensitive Who are your biggest threats What to do if a cybersecurity threat occurs, and what not to do Who’s responsible for handling cybersecurity threats What tools you’ll use to handle cybersecurity threats Make sure you communicate these protocols to all employees, and that they understand exactly what is expected of them when a cybersecurity threat does arise. 2. Limit Administrator Access Most employees in your business will need access to a computer or device that gives them administrative privileges. However, this doesn’t mean everyone should be an administrator on all computers or devices. Administrators have full rights and access to the system and any stored information. This makes it easier for someone to delete everything if they wanted to. You can make sure you’re not opening yourself up to these kinds of cybersecurity threats by being smart about what people are allowed access to. Also, limiting access rights will reduce damage caused by hackers in case an employee’s account is compromised. If a hacker has access only to certain websites or information, they won’t do as much damage overall. 3. Train Employees About Online Scams Another important step you can take is training your employees about online scams and how to avoid them. There are many different kinds of cybersecurity threats out there, but one thing most of them have in common is that they rely on people being more trusting than they should be. You need to ensure that all of your employees know the types of scams that exist and what steps to take if a cybersecurity threat does happen. One of the most common ways hackers use to penetrate systems is by email. Phishing emails are some of the most common, where hackers send emails pretending to come from a certain place or person. Emails like this usually have a link in them, and once you click on it, it will prompt you to enter your login information. Most people think they’re safe if they don’t fall for these scams and don’t enter their data. But other things can happen even if you aren’t tricked by phishing emails. Always make sure that when an email is addressed to you (even if it comes from someone you know), take some time to verify who actually sent the email before doing anything else. Also, make sure not to ever open any attachments sent via email unless you know exactly who sent the attachment or you’re 100% sure it’s safe to open. 4. Outsource To Professionals One of the most effective ways to protect yourself from cybersecurity threats is outsourcing your security needs to professionals. It can be tempting to try and do everything in-house, but unless you have a lot of experience in cybersecurity, it’s best not to try and handle any threats on your own. Most businesses don’t have enough time or resources to deal with every single threat that comes up. That’s why hiring third-party cyber experts will help you out. They can take care of all kinds of things for you, including: Providing security audits Protecting the network from malware Setting up firewalls Choosing appropriate passwords Monitoring systems for signs of problems Analyzing user behavior and Conducting regular employee training Outsourcing these kinds of tasks to a third party can be expensive for your business, but when you consider the cost and time required to do it on your own, this is completely offset. Ensure that the company you hire uses the best possible methods to protect your systems against cybersecurity threats. While it’s tempting to save money by going with someone who doesn’t have as much experience or training, this could end up costing you even more in the long run. 5. Cyber Security Insurance Coverage Do you have cybersecurity insurance coverage? While it’s never a good idea to rely on something like this as your only line of defense against cybersecurity threats, having an insurance policy in place can help with any related damages. For example, if someone gets access to your systems and causes damage or loss, cyber insurance will protect you from those costs. It’s important to understand exactly what is and isn’t covered by your policy. So make sure you take the time to look over and understand everything before signing anything. Common policies cover loss of data, identity theft, breach of customer information, and protection from ransomware attacks. You’ll also want to make sure that you can have someone review your policies for potential gaps every year to ensure you’re still protected if a new threat comes up. 6. Encrypt for Data Protection Encrypting your data can be an extremely effective way to make sure that no one can break into sensitive parts of your systems. This includes things like: User credentials Account numbers or access information Confidential business documents or files Encryption works by scrambling the data so that it’s not readable at first. But once someone

Cloud data storage has become one of the most prominent areas of the tech sector in recent years. Most of the smart technology you purchase has access to at least one type of cloud environment.  Computers come with built-in cloud storage options that can help you backup your photos, videos, and other files. The iPhone automatically syncs your data with Apple’s servers so you never lose files.  Most services that utilize the cloud say that it’s more secure than operating with an on-premises storage option, but does that make it immune to hacking?  Here’s everything you need to know about storing data on the cloud, cloud hacking, and how your data is kept protected.  What Is Cloud Data Storage? Nowadays, “the cloud” is everywhere. Even people who’ve never worked with computers have heard of it, but not many people know exactly what it is or how it works.  The history of cloud computing is a lengthy one, but the core idea was to allow two people to use a single computer at the same time. With certain programs, that idea has become reality.  Cloud data storage doesn’t work from the sky as the name implies. In fact, it operates from a network of servers on the ground, all owned by whatever company is offering the services. For example, Google uses its cloud environment with all of its online services. You can access some kind of Google app on whatever smart device you own, such as your phone, tablet, and laptop.  When your device uploads any kind of data into the cloud, it’s actually getting sent to physical servers that save your information. Accessing that data from the cloud means connecting with those servers to retrieve it.  In other words, paying for a cloud service means renting out space on another company’s servers. Furthermore, your company isn’t responsible for its upkeep. That includes maintenance, administration, or troubleshooting.  Using the cloud allows you to handle multiple projects at once, easily share data, and access that data from multiple different devices. There are also different types provided for businesses.  SAAS provides software and is one of the most developed areas. PaaS supports writing software, and IaaS gives clients more computing power.  The main drawback of cloud computing, however, is the lack of immediate control. As a client, there isn’t much you can do on your side to protect the server or recover data that’s been lost. You also require an internet connection to access it.  How Hackers Access Your Data Despite the presumed security of the cloud, it’s not immune from cyber threats.  For smaller companies and businesses, a cloud data storage provider will have much better cybersecurity and defense measures than you could personally afford. Larger companies with significantly more information stored on the cloud may need to be more cautious.  Google runs some of the best cybersecurity operations, and for good reason. If they were to get hacked, anyone that depends on their software and cloud network could lose valuable information. In fact, nearly 2 million companies use Google Apps.  In 2019, Google issued over 40,000 cyber-attack warnings through their Advanced Protection Program (APP). By the time 2020 rolled around, the number of cloud attacks around the world surged to almost 3.1 million according to McAfee.  More often than not, cyber attacks aren’t like the kind you see on television shows. They don’t involve long strings of code. Instead, the most common form of attack is phishing. Phishing emails convince users that they’re from reputable companies in order to gain access to personal information. Once a hacker gains access to an account, they can use the cloud infrastructure to access other accounts.  If they manage to access an account belonging to the cloud provider, then the attack would be much more extensive. Fortunately, these companies also have multiple levels of cybersecurity built in to deal with threats before and after an attack.  Cloud Protection Software One of the most important ways to protect your company’s data in any situation is to educate your staff. A weak password can be easily bypassed or guessed based on personal information. Knowing the difference between a genuine email and a phishing attempt also makes a huge difference.  There are many options available for protecting your data and alerting your company of any current threats.  LogMeOnce offers a password manager, identity theft protection, and a cloud encrypter.  The password manager can save passwords and credit cards and does two-factor authentification. Their identity theft protection can monitor the dark web and alert you of any breaches. The cloud encrypter encrypts file names and content on all of your devices.  Most other services you use have their own accompanying cloud protection software. For example, Google’s Apigee Sense works with their API Management Platform for some extra protection. Harmony Email and Office prevents attacks on SaaS apps and your cloud email.  Safe Cloud Storage Options Everyone’s heard of the various cloud storage options out there, such as Dropbox and iCloud. But which ones are actually the safest for your cloud files? Google Drive is one of the best out there for its affordability and third-party integration. The company uses several layers of encryption to protect its customers and will alert users of any unusual activity.  When you look into your options, consider what levels of security are offered and how you can best take advantage of them.  Prevent Cloud Hacking Whether cloud data storage is safer than an on-site server depends on the amount of care you put into your security. Many smaller companies simply can’t afford to implement rigorous cybersecurity, so it’s better to rely on a bigger company that can. The cloud is also much more convenient for your business. If you want to do your part in keeping the cloud safe from hacking, try out LogMeOnce. We offer powerful security with convenience at affordable prices. Sign up today and get a free 14-day trial. 

You know that it’s important to have a strong password. But do you know how to create one? Many people make mistakes when creating a password and don’t realize the consequences until they are hacked. Read on to learn seven common password mistakes, so that you can avoid them. 1. Using Common Passwords Is your password 123456? It’s time to change it because it’s one of the most vulnerable. Despite security experts recommending strong, unique passwords along with 2FA and password managers for better protection, many people continue to use weak passwords. Some of the most common passwords include predictable combinations like 123456, qwerty123, and 1234567890. UK’s National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) surveyed some passwords belonging to accounts that had been breached. The top three most used were “123456,” with 23.2 million accounts; “123456789” was used by 7.7 million people, and “qwerty” or “password” were both used by more than 3 million people. Do your passwords follow the same patterns? Creating a strong, hard-to-guess password is the first step to keeping your information safe. Combine three random words that you can easily remember, and be creative so people cannot guess it. 2. Password Recycling The use of reused passwords is one way people unknowingly put themselves at risk of cyberattacks. According to a recent study by Google, at least 52% of internet users reuse their passwords across multiple websites. Don’t make this mistake! Using only one password is dangerous because all other accounts are in danger if you get hacked into any website. Hackers use a technique known as credential stuffing. Credential stuffing works by taking information from previous data leaks and trying variations on different accounts. If an attacker already knows your logins for one account, they will try using those credentials on different sites. 3. Storing and Sharing Plain Text Passwords A plain text password is when someone writes their passwords down on paper or types them without any encryption. This makes them readable by humans and machines. The risk of storing and sharing your password in plaintext is that anyone who has (un)authorized access to your account or device can access it. If that person is a hacker, they will get all the data stored on the system. It is important to be safe and smart about handling your passwords in today’s digital age. One way of ensuring this safety is by storing them in a password manager that offers encryption. 4. Sharing Passwords 43% of Americans admit they have shared their password with someone else in the past – including for streaming accounts and social media profiles. Sharing passwords is dangerous because you are putting your data at risk. Even if the other person doesn’t have malicious intentions, it is still risky for you. They might accidentally click on something they don’t know and give someone else access to your account. They could even allow a virus into the device with all of your information stored there. While some may think that “sharing is caring” applies to many areas of life, this couldn’t be more untrue when it comes to passwords. Sharing a password for an online shopping account has the potential to give access that could cost you your credit card information. 5. Changing Password Too Often Contrary to popular belief, changing your password regularly – without evidence of a password breach – doesn’t automatically make your account more secure. Research suggests people put little thought into changing their passwords when they are forced to do so frequently. Most of them reuse the same old passwords. The same research also discovered that people prefer password transformations. For example, incrementing numbers and adding special characters like dollar symbols ($). Once hackers are able to figure out one password, they can most likely predict the next with little effort. 6. Using Passwords Based on Personal Information It’s not a good idea to use passwords based on personal information such as your dog’s name, the city you live in, or your date of birth. These details about yourself are all over the Internet. They can be used against you by hackers who want to access your private accounts for nefarious purposes. Try creating passwords with numbers and letters that don’t give away clues to personal information. The more complicated the password is, the better chance of security. Also, avoid the use of common words. Hackers have dictionary-based tools they use to crack these types of passwords. There are likely only a few hundred possible combinations for any dictionary word. Create a sentence using acronyms and sprinkle in some numbers. It might feel clunky at first, but after a while, this will become second nature. 7. Allowing Browser to Save Password Letting your web browser store passwords can be dangerous; it’s like asking a stranger to hold onto your keys. Passwords are meant for one person only. When you let browsers share them with their servers, they could get hacked by someone who wants access to your private network data. The best way to keep your data safe is not allowing any browser to store your passwords. Use LogMeOnce When Creating a Password If your password is compromised, you could lose critical data. But with so much information being shared and accessed online, it can be hard to keep track of passwords for each site or service we use. Fortunately, there are solutions available, like LogMeOnce password manager. This password manager goes beyond just creating a password. It offers other features such as encryption and anti-hacker protection. To learn what more you can do with this password manager, sign up for free today.

Did you know that about 48% of online data exists on the dark web? Because this consists of people’s stolen personal and financial information, it’s critical to understand the threat that this corner of the internet poses to your business data. Dark web monitoring ensures that your client data and business information aren’t leaked and sold. But why is this important? How does it work? Let’s take a look. The Dark Web and Its Impacts For those unfamiliar with the dark web, it’s an area of the internet that’s not accessible via common browser software. This makes it a subsection of the ‘deep web,’ which users can only access via the Tor Onion browser and similar technologies. Most of the deep web is used for totally legal activities including bitcoin exchanges, secure transactions, and coding that makes sites on the clear web run smoothly. However, the dark web is a different animal. It’s a hub for criminal activity. The most common activities include scams, data theft, and the stealing and sales of financial and personal information for nefarious purposes. How Can This Harm Your Business? As you may expect, dark web activity can have a hugely adverse effect on businesses. Some potential issues include: Hackers damaging and destroying your network so that machines stop working (causing you to need to replace machinery) Virtual theft (financial and personal information) Identity theft and sales (after virtual data theft) Noncompliance fines from corporate or government entities Damaged reputations when employee/client information is stolen Loss of business due to poor reputation These problems arise when dark web hackers bug your network and steal data. Malware can connect to and damage your network when certain emails are opened and pop-up ads are clicked. This information will then be given to hackers to sell on the dark web. Since the average data breach costs a company around $3.68 million, it’s critical that you invest in dark web monitoring services to secure business data. Dark Web Monitoring Solutions Dark web monitoring software looks for mentions of a company on dark web forums. The technology scours these forums and looks for those that talk about employees, clients, and the enterprise itself. You can ask it to look for specific keywords and tie it to your business network for added impact. Some things that dark web monitoring looks for include: Customer lists and data about clients Employee passwords and login credentials Trade secrets for a given company Innovations stored on your network Valuable datasets that track trends and sales Valuable intellectual property and brand information How Does This Work? The lack of page indexing is one of the key features of the dark web. Hackers love this because they can engage in private communications between others who are looking to buy, sell, and trade information. It’s essential that businesses select a solution that can scour information that is only accessible via Tor and I2P. The software uses web crawlers and automated scanners to find and look into potential data breaches. These web crawlers scrape through the dark web to reduce the likelihood of a breach. It will alert the company IT team that manages the technology if it identifies a risk. With real-time alerts and troubleshooting systems, these solutions are perfect for greatly reducing the risk of any business threat. Reducing the Risk of Dark Web Theft Impactful solutions to catch cyber criminals use multiple technologies rather than just one. You should integrate your LogMeOnce dark web monitoring software with its PasswordLess login process. Here’s how PasswordLess login works: Sign onto your business Cloud with LogMeOnce Set up a secure key for each user that no one else can access Trust in multi-factor identification for multiple layers of security Engage in SSL/TLS encrypted communications that are deposited to AmazonCloud Automatically let LogMeOnce store IDs and passwords with military-level HASH and SALT algorithms Secure your Amazon card so that each user’s cloud safety deposit box is accessible only by authorized users Let authorized users have a one-click sign in and sign out Users will then have secure and easy access to data. This lessens the probability that information will end up on the dark web in the first place. But how will you know if it does? What can you do then? Identity Protection Packages Your IT team can use LogMeOnce’s ‘Identity’ protection package for dark web monitoring. The technology used for monitoring will integrate with the PasswordLess security key to learn and understand the data that authorized users are protecting. The entire process will ensure that you get real-time alerts when there are blips and breaks in normal user trends. You can then choose what action to take based on the dark web forum leak that you identify. We also offer specialized team and business packages as well as specific enterprise solutions. While you need to contact sales for identity protection services and work out a payment plan, the other packages come with a 2-week free trial. Protect Your Business Today Now that you know why dark web monitoring is critical for your business, it’s time to begin protecting your employees, your clients, and yourself. Sign up for trusted and reputable identity protection software today. Our experts pride ourselves on giving you the ability to analyze and track your business activity on both the clear and dark web to keep you safe and secure. The platform seamlessly integrates with your existing password manager or IAM tool as well. We look forward to working with you soon!

Did you know that the average cost of a data breach is $3.86 million? You might think that as a small business owner, you’re safe from these attacks. But the reality is, cybercriminals go for small businesses just as much as they do larger corporations. Can your business afford to pay millions of dollars to rectify a data breach? Probably not. In fact, most security breaches are enough to shut down companies for good. For this reason, data security should be something you take very seriously. With the proper measures in place, you’ll be able to fend off common attacks that usually topple businesses. In this article, we’ll discuss 8 data security tips that every business owner needs to know. 1. Have Firewalls and Antivirus Programs Firewalls regulate traffic that comes in and out of your network. Thus, it can prevent unauthorized access from malicious actors. As you can see, it’s absolutely necessary that you have active firewalls so not just anyone can get into your network. Not only that, but you also need to have a robust antivirus program on all devices, including smartphones and tablets! In case any malicious activity gets through your firewalls, good antivirus software will catch it and prevent it from doing damage. 2. Keep Programs Updated You’re probably familiar with the popups on your screen that ask you to update your programs before proceeding. And like many other people, you’re probably guilty of clicking “later” so you can continue on with your work. But that’s a huge mistake! You see, software developers are always working on ways to plug up vulnerabilities in their programs, which hackers exploit. By installing updates ASAP, you’ll be stopping cybercriminals dead in their tracks before they can try anything on your network. 3. Password Protect Your Wi-Fi No matter if it’s just you in the office or 50 members of staff, it’s vital that you password protect your Wi-Fi. This gives you complete control over who accesses your network. Even better is to have 2 separate networks: one for employees and one for clients and visitors. That way, should the visitor Wi-Fi network be compromised, it won’t affect your business network at all. And of course, you should password protect both networks to limit access. 4. Limit Physical Access People nowadays are so focused on digital data that when it comes to how to keep your data secure, they forget about the physical aspect! What you’ll want to do not just limit online access for people, but also the physical as well. Have locks on all doors and only give keys to those who need direct access for work. Have a clean desk policy where nobody leaves any essential pieces of paper on their desks where visitors can potentially see. Also, have your employees get into the habit of locking their computers when they walk away so no one can gain access, if even if they’re just going away for a few minutes. 5. Back Up Your Data Ransomware will lock up your computer and prevent you from accessing files. You usually have to pay an amount in Bitcoin for the hacker to release your device; or so they say they will. Eliminate this danger by backing up your data regularly. In the event of malware or a natural disaster (like a fire or flood), you’ll have a recent copy of your data that you can retrieve and work from. 6. Use Strong Passwords Hackers can use something called brute force attacks to basically try and guess at people’s passwords. Needless to say, if you have an easy one (such as the name of your dog and your birth year), your password will be terribly easy to crack. What you want to do is use strong passwords that don’t use dictionary words; random strings of letters, numbers, and symbols (if possible) are some of the strongest passwords you can have. Not only should you have strong passwords, but you need to vary them from site to site. Think about it this way: you wouldn’t want one key to unlock a bunch of your locks. When you have different passwords for each account, it’ll be much harder for a cybercriminal to take 1 successfully-cracked password and apply it to all accounts to gain access. It might be hard to remember all your passwords in this case, especially if they’re random strings of letters, numbers and symbols. In this case, you should use a password manager. Not only can these generate strong passwords for you, but they can also store them safely in an encrypted fashion and autofill the appropriate pages when needed. 7. Enable Multifactor Authentication If a hacker successfully guesses your password, they’re usually immediately in your account. But if you have multifactor authentication on, they’ll hit a roadblock! While many programs now have 2-factor verification like SMS, phone call, or email verification, you can take it one step further with LogMeOnce authentication. You can use things like selfies and fingerprints to verify that you’re indeed the true owner of the account you’re trying to log into. 8. Provide Employee Training Your employees are actually the first line of defense when it comes to business security. All the above won’t be needed if they can successfully detect any fishy activity. Consider hiring a chief security officer to brief your office regularly and to provide data security training and testing. Take Data Security Seriously If you haven’t been doing much for your business’s data security, it’s time to start now. Put our tips into practice and you’ll mitigate a lot of risks. While it might take some time and effort to implement everything, we promise that it’s all worth it in the end. It just might literally save your company from shutting its doors thanks to a data breach! So make this small investment of time and money to secure your business’s future. Ready to take a step towards better password security? Then sign up for our password manager now!