Do you own an online business? There are over 1.8 billion websites on the internet. As technology continues to advance, people are beginning to migrate to the internet. From regular lives to businesses, online platforms are becoming the new normal. So much of the internet holds our personal information, like names and bank accounts. Hackers now have more advanced technology to gain access to our accounts. Some experts claim that we are now more vulnerable to cyber-attacks. Do you want to protect your business? Consider using a team password manager! In this article, we show you some of the benefits of using a password manager for a team. What is a Password Manager Your password is one of the first lines of defense when you own an account. Many websites require capital letters, numbers, or special symbols to encourage strong passwords. Some people use different passwords across different platforms. However, it can be hard to remember all of these passwords. A password manager is an app that allows you to store your login credentials. It encrypts this information to prevent hackers from stealing it. Some password managers can give you a strong and unique password for each account. It will also autofill your login information. All you need is to remember the “master password” to access your other passwords. Types of Password Managers You can find many types of password managers. Some base their services on storage, features, or technique. Here’s a quick run-down of the different types of password managers. Desktop-Based This is one of the most popular and oldest forms of a password manager. It stores and encrypts your password in a localized desktop machine. Cloud-Based Cloud services allow you to upload resources on an online server for easy access from “any where and anytime”. A cloud-based password manager does the same for your passwords. It transmits your information through a secure communication channel. Browser-Based Your default search engine might already have a built-in password manager. Some apps, like Firefox and Chrome, allow you to store and manage your login information. Unfortunately, hackers always target vulnerabilities in web browsers so that they can exploit them as thoroughly as possible before they’re patched. This may be the least secure type of password manager. Portable You can use a portable device like a mobile phone to store your login information. You may also an HDD or a USB stick. Token-Based Token-based password managers give you an extra layer of security. It uses multi-factor authentication. Stateless This type generates random passwords. They use a master passphrase provided by the user. They may also use a key derivation function to generate a tag. How Easy is it for Someone to Get Your Password Data and security breaches occur every day. A hacker can access a company’s system through the weakest part of their systems. Through this, they can access passwords, emails, and other sensitive information. Cyberthieves can also exploit account or device vulnerabilities to steal information. It can range from weak passwords to outdated software. Birth dates and pet names are also the easiest to guess. Some hackers use malware to steal information. If you have outdated software or antivirus apps, you may suffer from malware attacks. Other cyberthieves use keyloggers to access sensitive information. Online businesses are not immune to cyberattacks. If you have a business website, it may hold sensitive information about your team or customers. The pandemic forced many businesses to turn to online means. Whether you’re new to eCommerce or have been in it for a while, you need to prioritize security. Here are some of the benefits of using a team password manager. 1. Manage Shared Accounts Managing passwords for a team can be a hassle when running a business. It can be more difficult if more than one person needs to access one account. Example – more than one employee may need access to FedEx or UPS to ship overnight packages, but would not need to know the actual passord is “%Mn*frzx4@ghT” . With a team password manager, you can securely share, change and manage passwords. Get an app that enables one person or administrator to access the master password without sharing it with other account holders. You can add or remove access for any member of your team. 2. Create Stronger Passwords A team password manager allows you to create stronger passwords using “Password Generator” and/or “Password Calculator”. Since you don’t have to remember them all, you can create unique passwords for each account. You can set up security standards for logins. If you work with a team, a password manager can help you set up security protocols. You can assign the necessary length and complexity of a password. You may also enable 2FA and keep track of app updates. 3. Auto Log-in to Sites Your chosen app is not only a tool for managing passwords. You can also use it to auto-login to your website. Remember that if you’re using a password manager app, assign your browser not to remember passwords. This will prevent a hacker from accessing your password vault. This can also help you save time if you have multiple accounts. 4. Secure More Than Passwords Your app can store and secure more than your login credentials. Some password managers can store password recovery questions. You can record answers, but disable your password manager from auto-filling them up. You can also save your credit cards and membership cards. If your website has a company credit card, a password manager can help you secure it. You can also store notes and other sensitive information that you can only share with your team. 5. Alerts You from Potential Security Breach Most phishing scams occur when you open a suspicious email. Phishing is when fake spam emails look like they come from a legitimate sender. It contains links asking you to click on which can harvest login details when opened. A password manager can alert you to phishing sites. A high quality password manager will compare

Our modern lives involve the everyday use of technology. More specifically, we are continually using digital devices that let us go online. The internet has changed the way we live our lives. We can now manage our finances online, order products, book appointments, and so on. It has certainly made things a lot simpler and more convenient. However, the use of the internet also carries certain risks that revolve around security. After all, you don’t want anyone getting into your account, stealing valuable information, or money. The weakest link in online security is often the password. Most people create simple passwords because they are easy to remember, but this makes their passwords easy to figure out. This is why you should consider using a password book for all your accounts. What is a Password Book? We have countless accounts on our devices, and all of them have passwords. Remembering them all can prove to be a challenge. Also, many third-party apps are designed to help you save your passwords. But what happens if your device gets hacked? This is why many decided to take an alternative route to protect their passwords. Instead of storing them digitally, they figured that putting passwords on paper would be a better idea. Password Books are specially designed books where you can write down your password. It might sound crazy, but it’s actually not a good idea. We forgot the art of writing things down. Our computers remember everything for us. This has become a vulnerability, and this is why password books were created first and later password managers.. Why is Paper Back? It might seem counter intuitive to use a low-tech option for problems that revolve around techy stuff. Isn’t it better to use digital technologies to save up your passwords and manage them? Unfortunately, things aren’t that simple for some people. The first reason why this option has been used is that people feel overburdened with digital technology. Everything is done online. There are countless procedures, methodologies, and passwords we have to keep in mind when doing something. There’s no simplicity anymore. This can be a challenge for many people, especially if they haven’t grown up with computers. For example, people who are over 70 years old will always find it more challenging to learn how to do new things on computers. Why You Should Consider Using a Password Book Yes, all of this might sound strange. We are living at the peak of computer technology, why should we turn back to paper? Before you completely shut down this idea, make sure to read some of the reasons we talk about below and see for yourself if this might be a good idea. Password Books are Simple People often use password managers that are too complex. They misuse these tools without fully understanding them. This often causes security issues. People often even lock themselves out from their passwords and accounts. This is where the real headache starts. It could take months to get all of your passwords back. With password books, there are no similar scenarios. It’s all between you and a good old piece of paper. You simply write down all the passwords for your accounts. You can divide them in any way you want. For example, each page can be for one account, or you can write the names of the account and their passwords underneath. Simply put, everyone knows how to write things down on paper. You don’t need a manual or a list of instructions to understand what you’re doing. No Hacker can Access Your Password Books! The most apparent thing about password books is that they are in the physical world. Simply put, nobody can get to them. If you put your book in a safe place, there is almost a 0% chance that anyone will ever see it or find it. At the same time, criminals aren’t aware that you can store your passwords this way. Everyone thinks that people save up their passwords on their browsers or in some digital documents. This is where the counterintuitive approach works its magic. Digital password managers can help protect your passwords. However, if you manage them poorly or make mistakes online and let someone breach your computer, they can become a huge liability. If someone accesses your password manager, they’ll be able to get into all of your accounts. They are Easy to Understand Again, we go back to one of the essential things – simplicity. Whenever you want to read a password or remind yourself of one, open your book and read it. Everyone can do this very quickly, and you can even carry your book along with you in a bag. That way, you can access all of your accounts from your mobile device while on the go. It might seem like a hassle, but losing tons of personal information or money online can be far worse. At the same time, we mentioned older folks that need to find a way to memorize all of the passwords. But they need to do this safely. This is where password books can be beneficial. They are neatly categorized, stored, and you can find some with large fonts. This makes it easy for anyone to write down and read their passwords. Conclusion In the end, password books let you write any kind of password. No matter how complex the account login is, how many steps are there, what information you need to type in, or how complicated your password is, you can put them all down on paper and read with ease. A lot of password books come with pages filled with categories and additional information you can type in. If you like, you can even create puzzles, riddles, or write down passwords in your own secretive way that nobody else would understand. This will make your accounts completely secure. That begin said, I highly recommend you to use password manager to secure your passwords effectively.

Properly securing your data is one of the most important obligations that entrepreneurs are tasked with. After all, the cybercrime industry is estimated to reach $6 trillion and worth by the beginning of 2021. Incorporating a reliable password manager is a big step toward safer data. But, not everyone knows where to look for while choosing one.  Not quite sure how to begin? We’ve got all the info you need. Let’s explore everything you should keep in mind when it comes to when choosing the best password manager for business purposes. Quality Password Generation As you may expect, one of the most important attributes of a quality password manager for your company is its password generation algorithm. To elaborate, the safest passwords are ones that include random strings of numbers, letters, and special characters. So, there’s a huge difference between a password like waves96 and d#gz8q5^56wtr%2sb. It’s also important to understand why these complicated passwords are integral to optimizing your data security. Many hackers implement a method known as ‘brute-force hacking’ when looking to compromise information. As the name suggests, this involves repeatedly guessing a potential password over and over again until they’re able to find the right one. Hackers typically make use of a large number of compromised computers to help facilitate this endeavor. So, a long, complex password is exponentially harder to guess than a shorter one. Secure Access A password manager won’t do you much good if anyone who is using your device is able to access the passwords stored within the software. Instead, your password manager should require a master password before any other information is displayed. Otherwise, all somebody would need is your device’s login info in order to gain access to all of this data. Since businesses are inherently more at risk than individual users, it’s best to choose a password manager that has two-factor authentication. This will allow you to prevent unauthorized access to your list of passwords, keeping your data far safer. End-to-End Encryption The only way to keep your data as secure as possible is by incorporating end-to-end encryption. This term simply means that nobody but the user is able to access password information. If a password manager’s provider is able to see password data, then a data breach that occurs at this company could cause your information to get leaked onto the Internet. In combination with brute-force hacking and other traditional hacking methods, you could quickly find your accounts compromised by a third-party. It’s important to know, though, that you’ll be entirely responsible for remembering your master password since your provider won’t be able to facilitate access to it if you forget it. As such, you should take the appropriate measures to ensure this information doesn’t fall into the wrong hands.  Browser and Operating System Support In general, most password managers will have no trouble integrating with popular browsers and operating systems. This is particularly important for businesses that don’t always use the most current version of a software. Common reasons for this include the fact that older software occasionally has more favorable licensing terms. In other scenarios, newer software can actually make the use of certain programs impossible. This type of incident was a point of contention regarding Apple’s Catalina operating system, as it made the vast majority of 32-bit plug-ins unusable. Businesses that made use of software that was only offered in 32-bit format found themselves either searching for an alternative solution or downgrading to a previous version of their OS. Keep this in mind when browsing potential password manager options so that you can find one that accommodates all of your company’s needs. Otherwise, you may find yourself spending additional time while searching. Ongoing Development Unfortunately, cybercriminals are continually making advancements in the techniques that they use to compromise data. This is one of the primary factors why the cybercrime industry is projected to be worth so much money by the end of this year. Fortunately, there are just as many advancements being made in data security. In order for current password management technology to remain effective, it’s imperative that developers continually improve their software. This often comes in the form of enhancing the passer generation algorithms, pushing frequent security patches, and being transparent when it comes to the known vulnerabilities of their software. Otherwise, it’s highly likely that a hacker can gain access to all of your password-related information. A data breach can easily be crippling for a business of any size. For example, the Equifax data breach that occurred in 2017 caused a large amount of disruption in the company’s operations. In this incident, they also had to compensate clients and customers who were negatively impacted by the data breach. For smaller businesses that don’t have a ton of capital to work with, this could be potentially impossible to recover from. You should be able to easily locate development history on your provider’s website, so be sure to take a look before making a decision. Choosing The Right Password Manager for Business Purposes Can Seem Complicated But the above information will make the process far smoother. From here, you’ll be able to ensure that you choose the best password manager for business and help protect your company’s data as you continue to scale. Want to learn more about what we have to offer? Feel free to reach out to us today and see how we can help.

In order to keep your company as safe as possible, you’ll need to take every precaution you can when it comes to protecting your company data. Even a minor data breach could cause a significant lapse in revenue, and it’s not impossible for the scenario to result in the exposure of your trade secrets. So, there’s a handful of steps you need to take when it comes to proper enterprise password management. Not quite sure how to begin? We’ve got all the info you need. Let’s explore everything you should keep in mind.  Using The Same Password for Multiple Accounts Unfortunately, this is one of the most commonly-seen mistakes when it comes to business password management. Many entrepreneurs tend to use the same password across multiple platforms simply for the sake of being able to remember their login credentials. While this may make things more convenient in the short term, you’re putting yourself and your company at significant risk. This issue becomes even more serious if you also use the same email or username across different platforms. Instead, you should use a unique password for each account that requires login information.  Using Simple or Easy-to-Guess Passwords People are often warned that their passwords need to be a certain level of complexity in order to be sufficiently secure. Interestingly, most users assume that this is because someone would be able to sit down and guess their login info. This isn’t an impossible scenario, but there’s a much greater risk at play here— brute-force hacking. For those who are unfamiliar with the term, brute-force hacking is a method that cybercriminals use to guess a user’s password. As the name suggests, it involves hundreds or sometimes thousands of login attempts until the correct password has been found. It’s important to note that these individuals often use compromised computers during their attempt to gain access to an account, so they have far more than the conventional two or three incorrect attempts the most platforms impose. As a result, simple passwords put you at a far greater risk of having your account compromised.  While it may seem difficult to manage a large number of passwords across different platforms, making use of a quality password manager can help you accomplish this task in the most secure way possible.  Improper Password Security Password won’t do you much good if it’s written down on a sheet of paper that anybody can access. Similarly, it’s highly recommended to only provide access to an employee if that data is directly relevant to their role. For example, there’s no reason an entry-level employee should have the same level of access as a manager would. You also run the risk of having your workers exchange passwords with each other if you don’t properly train your team about data security. A common scenario could include one employee messaging another and asking them to use their login info while they’re out of the office. Not only does this provide unauthorized access to the inappropriate party, but this password could be compromised by other individuals if those employees do not properly secure their devices.  Foregoing Multi-Factor Authentication Multi-factor authentication is an additional layer of protection that provides a significant amount of extra security. Put simply, it requires extra information after you input your password before you can access your account. Depending on what type of platform you’re using, you may receive an email or text message that has a code you’ll need to input. In other scenarios, you may be asked to provide additional personal info. Some platforms even allow you to customize what type of information you’ll need to provide during multi-factor authentication. While this method isn’t entirely foolproof, it goes a long way toward keeping your company’s data secure. It also comes with the added benefit of you being alerted when there’s a login attempt that you’re not responsible for. For instance, if you receive an email asking for a verification code and you didn’t attempt to log into that platform, you’ll know that someone is trying to access your account, and you should change your password immediately.  Storing Passwords in Your Web Browser This is an additional vulnerability situation where convenience is often chosen over security. Most web browsers ask you if you’d like to store your password after you enter it for the first time. Many people decide to do so simply so they don’t need to remember this information in the future. Unfortunately, hackers always target vulnerabilities and web browsers so that they can exploit them as thoroughly as possible before they’re patched. One of the most common results is a cybercriminal getting access to a wide array of usernames and passwords. While many of these could be relatively useless to them, such as to a social media account, login credentials for business accounts often prove to be immensely profitable information for them to access. Instead, it’s recommended that you decline to let your browser store this information. It Can Seem Complicated to Incorporate Proper Enterprise Password Management But the above information will make the process far smoother. From here, you’ll be able to ensure that your enterprise password management practices are sufficient enough to protect your company’s sensitive data from falling into the wrong hands.  Want to learn more about what we have to offer? Feel free to reach out to us today and see how we can help.

Did you know that hackers can guess your password in as soon as a fraction of a second? For the most part, this depends on the complexity of your password. However, the more complex your password is, the harder it is to remember. And you have to remember a lot since you should use different passwords for each of your accounts. Otherwise, then a single security breach can render it useless. That’s why getting the best password manager is a must. It generates strong passwords for you, and it keeps them, so you don’t have to remember it. Keep on reading to learn some tips on how to manage passwords using it. 1. Get the Right Password Manager You should first confirm the security features of the password manager. At the least, look for the following features: Zero-Knowledge The password manager you use should operate on zero-knowledge security architecture. In this type of encryption, hackers or even the provider’s staff doesn’t know your passwords. It encrypts your data in your device before they’re transmitted to the servers. All they host in their servers are a bunch of gibberish. Thus with Zero-Knowledge technology your data is NOT saved in clear text format. Even if hackers were successful in getting in, they wouldn’t get any useful data at all. Similarly, employees of password management software provider will not see your data in clear text and will be in gibberish format. Anyone other than you would still need your master password, the encryption key. It unravels the gibberish and turns it into readable data. It isn’t hosted on the provider’s servers, though. That’s why you should review the security and encryption practices of the password manager before committing to it. Two-Factor Authentication Two-factor authentication is the minimum security requirement. Don’t get a password manager without it. While zero-knowledge encryption works in protecting your passwords on the provider’s side, two-factor authentication gives you protection on your side. Sometimes, the risk is higher on the client’s side. There’s the risk of having malware that tracks your keystrokes. You could also misplace the password somewhere accessible to anyone. This is where the two-factor authentication comes in. Aside from the password, you’ll need to enter a randomly generated code sent to your phone. This way, no one will get into your password manager, whether it’s your snoopy co-worker or a hacker, without getting hold of your phone as well. On that note, check if it automatically logs you out if there’s no activity in a certain amount of time. 2. Choose the Right “Master” Password While the password manager handles all your other passwords, you still have to think of one solid master password for it. Since it can access all your important accounts, like your email address, social media profile, mobile banking apps, and more, that master password must be the strongest you’ll ever make. Never include any personal information anywhere in the master password. That includes a name, a birthday, any other important date, or even your favorite hobby. These are available on the internet with some snooping around. With the amount of information we put out online, a hacker may even be able to find out the name of your first pet. It goes without saying that you also shouldn’t put obvious combinations of letters and numbers, like 1234 or abcd. Avoid common passwords! There are cracking tools that try every combination of words in the dictionary. Whatever password you settle for, though, make sure to remember it. Don’t store or write it anywhere, like in a post-it note or your cellphone. This is the number one rule in all password managing tips. Choose a password that’s strong and memorable to you at the same time. 3. Update Your Password Manager Often Whatever password manager you’re using, make sure to always update it as soon as possible. Hackers find exploits every day, although security companies are also constantly on the lookout for vulnerabilities that hackers may use. Doing so, they find new ways to strengthen the safety and security of your data. Some companies provide automatic security updates, meaning as soon as you login to their security product, you will be automatically receiving latest security updates. This is why getting the latest updates is important. Through these updates, providers fix bugs, patch vulnerabilities, deploy new security features, and so on. If you don’t update as soon as it releases, you risk getting exposed to any security flaw they might have found. Hackers can then use these to get into your data. Before you get hung up on these security flaws, though, know that there’s nothing that is 100% safe and secure. There are always going to be vulnerabilities, but do they make password managers a waste of time? The answer is a resounding no. Logging into social media, searching on the internet, and every activity has risks. Unless you’re going to live a tech-free life, you’re going to have to live with security risks. The thing is there’s something safer and more secure. And it’s your job to always choose the safest and most secure option. Password managers are safer and more secure. You should still use one to strengthen your protection against data theft and more risks. This is also why choosing the best password manager is important. They must have tight security and the latest encryption knowledge. 4. Stay on Top of Your Data’s Security Like we said above, hackers and security providers are always in an arms race. Sometimes, one is ahead of the other, while at other times, the other is ahead. You shouldn’t watch from the sidelines, though. You also have to do your job in keeping your accounts secure. Keep yourself updated with the latest data breaches. You can check stuff online like the security of your email address if a recent hack compromised it. You also need to be careful about phishing scams. It’s a threat that’s designed to fool you into thinking you’re safe. It’s disguised as a legitimate email,