Prevent Data Breaches Resulting from Compromised Passwords

Hackers are always after credentials, and it is consistently how company data breaches begin. Once a hacker has the credentials to get into your system, their reach can be limitless. Sometimes all it takes is one compromised password for a hacker to access your system. Employers and business owners, no matter the industry, need to be proactive about protecting sensitive information.

Password Risks

Secure credential management should always be in place for your users, whether it’s internal employees or third-party vendors that need access to a particular system. Passwords, especially passwords with privileged access to organizational systems and networks, are targets for hackers since they’re able to get so much information from just one singular source. Unfortunately, many organizations inadvertently mismanage these targeted credentials by distributing the same access and privilege across the board to admins, employees, and third-party vendor reps. Sharing passwords among colleagues, both on purpose and by accident, can inadvertently lead to your credentials being compromised.

Third Party Remote Access Risks

In many cases, third-party vendors are given the same credentials as employees. This will put your business at a serious risk of compromised passwords. When managing third-parties, using remote support solutions is the best way to protect yourself and your business. By never giving out your password and injecting the password on behalf of the vendor, they never see the login information first-hand, and this is the most secure way. If the third-party vendor never sees the password, they can never give it out or use it to access parts of the network they don’t need.

Best Practices for Strong Passwords

There are ways to help your team circumvent the issue of compromised credentials by insisting on the best practices for strong passwords and ensuring that your system is as secure as possible. Even if coworkers trust each other to access accounts, it doesn’t mean that their password is secure. Too many users still use outdated practices such as choosing easy to remember passwords or writing them down in an organized, easy to find location. So, what can you do to ensure your employees are following best practices for keeping your company information secure?

• Require strong passwords. This may mean auto generating secure passwords and utilizing a reliable password manager.
• Implement two-factor or multi-factor authentication.
• If breached, all passwords must be reset as standard protocol. In many cases, only suggesting that employees reset their password results in many just ignoring the suggestion.
• Never have the same password for all accounts/logins. That way, if one password is stolen or misused, the hacker only has access to one platform instead of all.
• Practice what you preach. All password best practices should be used by internal and external employees.
• Ensure that anyone with access to your network is abiding to the password rules your organization has set. You may require that employees reset their passwords every 90 days, never repeat a password, or require a various combination of letters, numbers, and symbols as an extra layer of protection.

Hackers are always getting more creative, but that doesn’t mean you need to make it easy for them with shared or compromised login credentials. The first line of protecting your business is strong, unique passwords for anyone who has access to your network. AccuShred has partnered with CSR Readiness Pro to provide businesses like yours with a self-assessment tool and suggestions on how to increase your data security awareness. CSR can determine if your organization is prepared to handle potential risks, as well as to provide you with a Breach Reporting Service to assist with the legal requirements of responding to a breach if you ever find yourself in that predicament. Being proactive about data security is the best way to address potential threats and keep your business safe. Contact us today to learn more about how AccuShred can help you stay diligent in your data security measures.