{"id":942,"date":"2014-02-06T16:20:03","date_gmt":"2014-02-06T16:20:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.poly.com\/?p=942"},"modified":"2014-02-06T16:20:03","modified_gmt":"2014-02-06T16:20:03","slug":"dont-let-it-get-personal-when-setting-passwords-for-your-small-business-data","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.poly.com\/dont-let-it-get-personal-when-setting-passwords-for-your-small-business-data\/","title":{"rendered":"Don\u2019t let it get personal when setting passwords for your small business data"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"smb-tech-trends\"<\/a>If there is one list you don\u2019t want your small business to on, it\u2019s the \u201cworst passwords list,\u201d especially in light of recent large-scale security breaches at national retailers like Target and Neiman Marcus.\u00a0 There’s no question that corporate data is under constant siege from the bad guys who want nothing more than to get their hands on your financial information.<\/p>\n

So it\u2019s particularly surprising to find out that many are lackadaisical when it comes to creating strong passwords. Each year, SplashData,<\/a> the developer of productivity apps for smartphones, develops an annual list<\/a> of the 25 most common passwords. The 2013 list actually comes from the millions of stolen passwords posted online by security consulting firm Stricture Consulting Group following Adobe’s well publicized security breach.<\/p>\n

You can consider it good news or bad that \u2018password\u2019<\/i> finally lost its title as the most commonly used \u2013 and as a result the worst \u2013 password. Attaining the 2013 number one spot was \u201c123456,\u201d<\/i> a previous two-time runner up. For a variation on a theme, the list also includes 123456789<\/i> and even 1234567890.<\/i><\/p>\n

Some passwords like iloveyou <\/i>convey a nice sentiment but not one you\u2019d want to share with a hacker. Then there\u2019s password1<\/i>, which leads us to conclude the user was looking for a surefire way to never forget his password and laying the groundwork for a password series to be used on a whole range of mobile devices and apps.<\/a><\/p>\n

If any of these are ringing a bell, especially as they relate to passwords you use for your small business, it\u2019s time for a change. As challenging as it may be to maintain a series of strong passwords for all your systems and computing devices; it\u2019s absolutely necessary. It\u2019s not only your data that needs protecting. Entry into your company IT systems can mean access to your customers\u2019 confidential information as we know all too well.<\/p>\n

\"Web<\/a><\/b>Tips for creating strong passwords<\/strong><\/p>\n

Microsoft offers some excellent tips on creating strong passwords that are hard to crack even with \u2018brute force,\u201d which is a program hackers use to try every combination of letters, numbers and keyboard characters. Keep these tips in mind as you set passwords and password policy for others in your small business to create them:<\/p>\n

Know what makes bad passwords: The following should be avoided:<\/p>\n