Let’s End The P4ssW0rd! Once And For All

123456

123456789

qwerty

password

As surprising as it might sound, these are the four most common passwords for 2019, according to Internet security firm, SplashData. A brief review of year-by-year passwords that have been leaked in data breaches since 2011 reveals that the most frequently used passwords remain the same. 

These are so easy to guess that it seemed hackers had an easy job accessing confidential data. The average person uses up to 90 passwords a day. So, it is easy to understand how confidential passwords are becoming less secure. There is such a thing as password fatigue. But what is the best solution to avoid data breaches? 

Passwords are forgettable and shareable

Passwords are designed to secure access to confidential information and tools. However, in the workplace, password abundance can make it tricky for staff to protect work data.

As a result, employees are more likely to use the same password for all their work tools and share passwords with new members of staff, partners, suppliers, and clients.

The bottom line: Never have your paid tools and customer data been so vulnerable than in a world of multiple passwords!

That’s precisely why solutions such as OneLogin focus on a streamlined approach to security, keeping a secure connection with single one-click access to all apps and solutions. 

Multiple passwords are stressful

Some companies have introduced password expiration as a way to keep hackers at bay. When passwords come with an expiration date, the staff is expected to change their passwords every 30, 60, 90, etc. days. 

In a hectic work environment, it’s easy to fall behind password standards. Firstly, the expiration is obsolete. Hackers can harvest passwords using keystroke loggers and phishing websites. Secondly, changing passwords regularly can add unnecessary stress to the day.

When pressure is already overwhelming, there is no need to make employees responsible for data protection. Finding new passwords regularly and remembering them creates a pattern for rushed input. 

Limited password creativity

There’s a reason why most commonly used passwords have remained the same year after year. They are predictable and require little thought process. The last thing you want, as an employer, is to drain your staff’s creativity by asking them to change their passwords regularly. In the long term, the practice becomes draining. People think less about security and more about getting done with their day-to-day work. And if that means using password as a password, then so be it. 

Corporate passwords don’t change enough

Even when the business is in charge of tools passwords, these lack security. Most companies don’t keep track of team changes. As a result, they don’t update passwords when employees leave. Consequently, former employees can gain access to corporate data, even though they don’t belong to the company anymore. 

It makes no doubt that business passwords often lack security. Unfortunately, more often than not, business processes and environments create unsafe passwords. From password abundance to password stress, it’s easy to see how employees develop potentially harmful habits. 

Can we, in the next future, switch passwords off permanently? Biometric identification offers a secure alternative. However, as long as data breaches remain a risk, hackers can steal and use biometric data. When this happens, there’s no option to change your access authentication. Nobody can change their fingerprint or eye. For the time being, and unless there is a better alternative, it’s up to businesses to make password use straightforward and less energy-demanding for teams. 

© New To HR