We’ve all seen the headlines about major retailers, financial institutions and even government agencies attacked by cyber thieves and spies. Most of us know someone who is a victim of identity theft. But what if someone accessed your business data? Could they disrupt your CNC machine shop business activities? Learn trade secrets? Or cause severe damage to your credit rating and customer relationships? Sadly, it happens all too often, and frequently because we don’t exercise greater care with the passwords we rely upon to safeguard important information. Here are 7 common password mistakes and how to avoid them:
- Weak passwords. Criminals can learn all they need to know about you online to guess passwords such as children or pet’s names, phone numbers, birthdates and anniversaries. There are even software programs that can quickly run through a host of words until they find the key to your data. That’s why experts suggest using a combination of random letters, numbers and symbols such as!, #, $, or %. Also, use both upper and lower case letters. The more such elements in your passwords, the stronger they become.
- Accessible lists of passwords. The kind of secure passwords described above are harder to remember so you’ll probably need a list to refer to from time to time. Obviously you must store that list in a secure location. Not in your wallet, or in a desk drawer. One solution is to use an APP that encrypts the passwords in your mobile device or stores them in a secure server.
- Using the same password more than once. To minimize the danger if someone does get hold of a password, don’t use the same one multiple times. Better to have only one problem to deal with.
- Mother’s maiden name. It’s amazing that many institutions continue to use this as a security test since birth records are so easily accessed online. Don’t compound the problem by using Mom’s maiden name as all or part of a password.
- Not logging out of password protected sites. Always logout and close your browser after visiting a password protected site. This is especially true in the workplace or when using a computer in a public setting. If you don’t logout, the next person who uses the computer can go where you have just been and find information that can cause you problems.
- Never changing passwords. I know, you finally committed a password to memory and so you’re reluctant to change it. However, as cyber crooks continue to be more aggressive and have access to better technology it’s wise to keep one step ahead by changing passwords at least once each year. Some highly secure sites actually require you to do so.
- Forgetting about mobile devices. If your mobile phones, tablets or laptop is lost or stolen, what would the thief or finder be able to access? Banking information? Email accounts? Maybe even a list of all your passwords? Make sure you password protect your mobile devices and initiate the GPS tracking function. Password storage and protection APPs are available for Apple mobile devices and Android.
While keeping your data safe with more secure passwords doesn’t help you make more chips, it can save you a great deal of time and trouble. For machine tool advice that can help improve productivity, contact the CNC experts at your Torrance, CA Haas Factory Outlet. Call (310) 381-0750, email: jphillips@haasfactoryoutlet.com, or visit www.haasfactoryoutlet.com.