Tips to keep your passwords secure for World Password Day, and beyond

New research by Panda Security can reveal that almost one in twelve UK consumers admit to only having one password, whilst nearly one in five confirm they have had their password hacked previously
Meanwhile 42 per cent indicate that they only change their passwords when prompted and 15 per cent actually never change it
Cybersecurity specialists from Panda Security share advice on how best to protect your online passwords

6^th May 2020, UK: As cybercrime continues to rise and the associated risks become increasingly complex, the importance of keeping your password safe has arguably never been more prevalent.

To mark World Password Day, Panda Security, a WatchGuard brand, can reveal new findings from its survey of 1500 UK consumers’ common password habits. Interestingly, but perhaps unsurprisingly, 42 per cent only change their password when prompted, whilst 15 per cent admit to never changing their password. Given that almost one in twelve (8%) indicated that they only have one password, and two thirds (66%) confirm that they don’t use any tools to manage/secure their password, it may be somewhat expected that 20 per cent have had one of their passwords hacked historically.

In light of this, Panda Security is sharing top tips on how to keep your passwords secure and outlines the common practices to follow – and the ones to avoid!

Keeping your passwords secure

Double the character length: It may not be rocket science but increasing the length of your passwords increases its complexity. Opting for at least 12 characters instead of 6 actually takes 62 trillion times longer to be hacked
Multi-factor authentication: Authentication is the cornerstone of good security, and multi-factor authentication means users must provide at least one additional token on top of their password to log into an account. These authentication tokens are typically something you are (biometric fingerprint or facial scans), something you have (like a hardware key or mobile phone) or something you know (like a password). Even if an attacker gains access to one of these tokens, like a user password, they’ll be unable to log in without the second (and sometimes third) authentication token – which is why MFA is a no brainer!
Regularly change your passwords and keep them unique: Another simple yet effective tactic. Continually switch up the letters, numbers, punctuation, and compositions that you use to minimise your passwords being compromised
Be unobvious: It’s tempting to use names of family, friends, pets, important dates, and personal interests as your passwords. However, these are some of the easiest combinations to guess. Think outside the box – the stranger the better!
Use a password manager: Many products give you increased password security, regular prompts, and the luxury of not needing to rely solely on your memory. For example, Panda Dome Passwords manages all your passwords under one master key, auto fills forms for speed and ease, synchronises your passwords, updates your passwords, avoids duplications, and provides military security level keys.

Corey Nachreiner, CTO, WatchGuard Technologies, says: “World Password Day has served as an annual reminder that we all need to practice better password security for nearly a decade. And yet, 80% of breaches began with brute force attacks, or lost or stolen credentials last year. Attackers add millions of new usernames and passwords every day to the billions already available on the dark web. This has been the trend for years now!”