Current eMessage > Technical Information > April 2019

Technical Information

Password management tips

by MACC’s Technical Support Team

Do you know your password for every account you log into by memory? Most often the answer is no. Cyber security is becoming more and more important every day, and it is important to keep your information secure!

With the number of places we log into on the web these days, many people have the same or similar passwords for all their accounts which is a bad practice. Storing passwords is often used for ease of access. It cuts down time logging into a webpage, especially when you have to do it multiple times. However, letting a web browser store your passwords is also a bad practice many people tend to do. If your web browser becomes compromised, then all of your passwords are as well.

Creating super complicated passwords seems like overkill to the average person. For example, using a bunch of random letters and numbers will not make for an easily remember-able password. However, complex passwords make it much harder for hackers to gain access to your information. On average eight character passwords can take less than 10 hours to hack while a 12 character password can take up to 17,000 years. Some tips to help create good passwords are to use multiple words, plus numbers or special characters at the end. Using words will help you remember your passwords as well.

To assist in remembering passwords you can use a password manager where your login information is stored securely and the only thing you have to remember is the master password to gain access to the manager. Once in, you will have access to all passwords you have stored. Password managers have become a safe way to store passwords. Saving passwords in an Excel spreadsheet or a Word document does not keep them safe. Writing down passwords in an open space is a high risk way to save passwords. Keeping your passwords stored properly and making them complex will help ensure your data is protected!

If you have any questions, or if there is anything we can do for you, please don’t hesitate to contact your MACC Tech Support Team and we will be happy to help! We can be reached at 402-533-5300, or via email, at macctechs@maccnet.com.