In a recent revelation by Cybernews, billions of passwords have been analyzed that were being compromised and sold on criminal websites. Although the figures are large, it is not an unusual practice in the cyber landscape that passwords are hacked. Previously, major British retailers, including Marks and Spencer, Co-op and Harrods, suffered from cyberattacks. Attackers tricked staff members into believing they were IT support staff before misleading them into resetting passwords so they could obtain unauthorized system access to important data. As a result, these companies face operational disruptions, customer inconvenience and reputational damage. The events reveal that passwords alone do not provide security, so organizations must focus on proper password management. Here are some ways to secure your password.

Use strong and Unique Passwords

Many employees in recent attacks selected passwords that were very simple to guess. Therefore, to make the password stronger, it must contain twelve characters or more as well as combine uppercase letters with lowercase letters and numbers with some special symbols. Repeated password use between different accounts puts the system at risk because attackers exploit this common mistake to access multiple accounts.

Enables Two Factor Authentication

The use of basic passwords has become insufficient for security purposes. A lack of two-factor authentication systems during attacks renders several organizations helpless against cyberattacks. Enabling 2FA adds a layer of security by requiring a second form of verification, such as a code sent to the phone or an authentication app. Even if hackers steal passwords, 2FA makes it much harder for them to gain access.

Enhancing User Protection with Encrypted Password Vaults 

Keeping passwords in the browser or written on paper creates massive security danger.

Human mistakes provedto be important contributors to the recent security incidents. Password is safe from hackers with password managers such as 1Password or Bitwarden to keep random secure passwords that the program generates and stores for different accounts. Every account will contain a unique, strong password, but the user needs to remember only a single master password for complete access.

Be Aware Of Phishing Attacks

Users are often tricked into giving hackers their login details, but that’s not entirely their fault. Other times, hackers may use social engineering tactics. In the case of these cyber attacks, the attackers pretended to be IT support, convincing employees to reset their passwords. If the user finds falling for a phishing scam, never give the password away even if it is with what seems to be a trusted source in an email or phone call. Take the time to verify authenticity.

Monitor Your Accounts and Change  Password Regularly

After the breach, companies like M&S and Co-Op were forced to act quickly to mitigate damage. Users can check their accounts for signs of theft every day and visit the site @haveibeenpwned.com to see if their email was compromised in data breaches. When users find that data has been exposed, they must alter their passwords every few months as part of effective protection practices.

By following these simple and effective steps, we can ensure that we are better protected against the ever-evolving threats in the digital world and learn from the mistakes made by large organizations in recent and past days.