For the past several years, Hive Systems has calculated the amount of time it would take a hacker to crack your password. They’ve just released the 2024 chart.

Take the Password Challenge! How do YOUR Passwords stand against hackers?

A strong password is your first line of defense to protect your accounts We recommend at least a 12 character password using upper and lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols. Your password should also be entirely unique from your other account passwords. If you’re worried about remembering your password, or creating a stronger one, try using one of our recommended password managers.

We encourage EVERYONE to become a Human Firewall; someone who is always vigilant about the security of their surroundings, including online.
One of the main attributes of being secure is to have strong passwords. If you’re still using your dog’s name and your kid’s birthdate, you need to change them NOW!!

Password Reuse is an Epidemic
“IT’S EASIER TO USE ONE PASSWORD” is often the excuse.
59% of individuals admitted to mostly or always using the same password, despite 91% knowing it’s a security risk.
When your commonly used password is breached, other accounts are at risk of being breached.

Your UNIQUE email password
Your email password must be strong and DIFFERENT from every other password that you use. Why? Because if a hacker gets into any of your secured sites, the first thing they will want to do is change the password so you can’t get back in. How do they do that? They
request a password change – sent to your email address. If they can get into your email, they have the keys to your kingdom and can access every account that you have. Take a few minutes and change your email password now.

What’s a good password?
A “good” password is a pass PHRASE, not a dictionary word or a pet name that someone could guess.
Start with a phrase:
SardineIceCream (YUCK!)
Alter it with numbers and symbols; a good password has at least one capital letter, one lower case letter, one number and one symbol: $@rdine1ceCre@m
As you can see, this password has one Capital letter, several lower case letters, one number, and three symbols. And it is comprised of s total of 15 characters. Current Best Practices suggests at least 8. We suggest 12 – 15

According to the chart on the front page, it would take a computer about 15 BILLION years to crack this password!
Now that you have your master password, it’s time to replace all your other passwords with unique, strong passwords

As a Human Firewall, here are your Best Practices:

• Don’t use your email password for any other purpose
• If you use the service often (like your bank account), memorize a passphrase enhanced with numbers and symbols
• Get a password manager for less-used sites and have it create random combination passwords unique to each site.
• Never save your passwords in your computer browser – if your computer gets hacked, they can get into all your accounts!
• Challenge Questions: in many cases, you can find the answers to your challenge questions (What is your mother’s middle name? What street did you grow up on? ) on Facebook or other social media sites. We often see “Take this Quiz” with these very
  questions! If these questions are required, make up an answer that you will remember but isn’t easily recognized.
• Mom’s middle name? Channel #5 (Her favorite perfume)
• Street you grew up on? Monopoly Street
• Your best friend in High School? Pizza – There’s no one checking that your answers are true, so have fun with answers that you can remember.

We’ve promoted the Hive Systems Passwords chart for the past few years. It’s always interesting to see how long, or how quickly, passwords can be cracked.

This year, Hive Systems has addressed the LastPass breach.

In November 2022, LastPass, the popular password manager, disclosed a security breach where hackers stole password vaults containing data for over 25 million users.

Initially, many believed the stolen passwords would remain secure, encrypted with a complex algorithm and numerous iterations. However, recent crypto wallet heists have raised concerns that some of these passwords may now be vulnerable to cracking.

If you’re a LastPass user, it’s crucial to assess your risk. I strongly recommend visiting the HiveSystems LastPass breach data website for additional information: https://www.hivesystems.com/blog/examining-the-lastpass-breach-through-our-password-table.

For LastPass customers (individuals, families, or organizations), LastPass has provided valuable guidance for both consumers and business administrators. You can find relevant links on the HiveSystems.com blog page.

Why Consider BitWarden?

I no longer recommend LastPass as the password manager of choice. Instead, I suggest using BitWarden (www.bitwarden.com), which offers both free and paid versions:

1. Free Forever: Share your passwords with one other user across unlimited devices. Includes all core functions.
2. Premium (Paid): Enjoy additional features like BitWarden Authenticator, file attachments, emergency access, and security reports
3. Family and Business Accounts: BitWarden allows multiple versions (personal, family, or business) within the same account.

Furthermore, BitWarden provides a straightforward import option, allowing you to migrate your LastPass passwords into their system seamlessly.

Remember, protecting your digital assets is essential. Consider making the switch to BitWarden for enhanced security and peace of mind.

ACTSmart IT
332 Main Street
Wareham, MA 02571
ACTSmartIT.com
Pam@ACTSmartIT.com