Passwords are critical gatekeepers to our digital identities, allowing us to access vendor sites, business apps, client sites, networking sites and more. Regularly changing your passwords is the best way to prevent your passwords from being compromised. Once a password is compromised, hackers can access a slew of company and personal information, sometimes even frequently checking your accounts.

To keep yourself protected, check out the top 4 tips we suggested to make your password more secure.

1. Start with a strong password

Creating a strong password used to just be using a variety of numbers, letters and characters. With the increase of data breaches, it’s been found that that may not be enough to keep you safe. A password should be more of a phrase. The longer phrase with a mix of numbers, letters and characters makes it even more difficult for a hacker to crack. Using a phrase unique to you may also be a more simple way for you to remember it.

Here's an example: e@P43bSc$. The phrase to remember is "everyone at Paul's 43rd birthday Saved cake money". Don't worry, it doesn't have to make a lot of sense, it just has to be something you can remember.

Developing strong passwords is related to security awareness. Looking to improve your employee’s awareness of the importance of strong passwords? SaskTel Business offers Security Awareness that is crucial to defending your business.

2. Update your passwords frequently

It’s important to be changing your passwords every 30, 60 to 90 days, changing the more sensitive ones more frequently. Don’t leave changing your password until suspicious activity is suspected, be proactive. Unfortunately just adding a ! into a current password is not considered a full change. Changes like these still make it easy for hackers to access your digital identities. Remember, just because you have a strong password does not mean you should use it on all of your platforms. Unique passwords for each platform is an important part of strong password health. You can think of changing your password as like a seasonal cleaning.

3. Add multi-factor authentication

For an added level of security, it’s recommended to use a multi-factor authentication. This can be done by the platform sending you an email or text message to confirm it is in fact you logging in at that location. The platform will require a pin sent to you to be able to access your account. Authentication apps also are a great option for having a multi-factor on your account. It shows your location and you have to click to approve. There are multiple trusted names that offer multi-factor authentication apps.

Multi-factor authentication can be the difference-maker when it comes to account security. Even with a secure password, a password can be compromised. With multi-factor authentication, you can protect your account and get an immediate notification when someone is trying to get in, even if they have the password correct. Reminder: if you get an email or text with a multi-factor authentication code you are not expecting, immediately change your password to another secure option.

Did you know that SaskTel offers multi-factor authentication services for businesses? Contact us to start protecting your business here.

4. Safely store your passwords

We know, changing your 125 passwords every 30-90 days might seem daunting. In fact, how can you even remember that many unique passwords? Writing down passwords can be dangerous and is not encouraged as they can be stolen or looked at. Try out KeePass. This free service is a password manager meaning it will keep your passwords safe. The encrypted database can only be unlocked with one specific key (that’s you!).

SaskTel Business Solutions wants to keep you and your business safe. We encourage you to use today, Change Your Password Day, to update your passwords. To read more on preventing cyber attacks, visit 5 ways to protect your business’s data.

Interested in learning more about keeping your business safe and secure? We have a team of experts who would be happy to explore the cyber security options that would be the best fit for your business. Chat with us or request a callback here.