Changing password regularly is a good habit entrepreneurs and employees should integrate in their daily business lives.
IT department of different enterprises and organisations implements changing passwords to keep the network secured and safe.
Security breach has been a hot topic due to the increase of businesses utilising Bring Your Own Device policy for their employees. It equals to the demands having working emails in personal mobile devices but without password protection, your device is vulnerable to threats.
Using common or general passwords could also put your network in trouble. Employees are required to change passwords regularly but they tend only to interchange the arrangement of letters, symbols and number of the previous passwords. Experts do not recommend this habit as hackers have advanced technology to decipher passwords in minutes.
So what small and medium businesses can do to enhance password security?
- 1. Have a password manager
Password managers including LastPass enable you to store different passwords of your various profiles and emails for your convenience. Having unique passwords is very recommended.
- 2. Multi-layer authentication
If you store your passwords in one place, you should have series of authentication to ensure no one can get into your system easily. The person trying to log on should go through tests before he can access the files.
- 3. Tell your people
It is essential employees know the importance of changing passwords. They should also be aware of strangers trying to get their emails and passwords.
- 4. Implement password policy
Having password policies are important when problem arise. The company should have a great system for password change and protection. Hire an IT consultant to handle some technical issues.
Small businesses should indulge in enhancing IT security especially if you are handling confidential information of clients. Consider the factors to determine the level of IT security you need for your system.