Save your sanity and security with password technologies

Good day,

TL;DR: Fix your passwords! 🙄 Ugggh. Right?

I know you’ve heard it before, but some of us need to hear it again. Let today’s newsletter be the nudge you need to get serious about improving your password practices, if you haven’t already. Learn more below.

All the best,

 #2 | 9 June 2024

Save your sanity and security with password technologies

I think most of us know we’re supposed to have iron-clad and unique passwords for every single thing, but we resist the idea. We have SO many accounts and profiles to log into these days. What’s the harm in using the same or similar passwords so we can access all of our essential apps quickly and easily? We don’t want the hassle of not knowing our password and having to reset it. At the same time, we’re really hoping to stay logged in forever so we never have to enter our username and password!

Have you ever been warned that your data was exposed in a security breach? I recall the Adobe attack in 2013, a massive breach involving 38 million customer accounts. I received notice that my account was among them (notices don’t always happen so that was nice). I immediately changed all of my passwords on anything money-related: online banking, Amazon, etc. At the time, I thought this was adequate. Nope.

The security of our email accounts may be the most critical. Many password-reset processes involve sending you an email. Access to your email account is a method of confirming your identity. If someone else can access your email account (because they hacked your weak password or obtained your reused password from a data breach or phishing), they can access personal and financial data within your email AND they can reset your passwords on other sites you use. With access to those sites, they can steal your personal information and/or money.

Multi-factor authentication (MFA), 2-factor authentication (2FA), and 2-step verification (2SV) processes that send a code to your phone offer an improvement in security by requiring access to your physical phone rather than your email account. When an option like this is available, use it.

Many of us log into dozens of applications on a regular basis (and may have hundreds of accounts in total). We can’t have unique and strong passwords for everything and be able to remember them all. If you can, your passwords are not strong enough! It’s time to abandon the idea of being able to remember passwords without help.

Thankfully, there’s an app for that. In fact, there are many apps and options to use technology to increase your security and decrease vulnerability. I’ve already mentioned MFA, 2FA, and 2SV authentication above. Passkeys are another alternative to passwords which are easy to use and more secure. Watch: What are passkeys? Explained in under 4 minutes (Microsoft Security on YouTube)

Many web browsers offer a way to save your passwords as well. This means you can have strong passwords and you don’t need to remember those passwords when using the browser. Learn more: Which Is Better: Your Browser's Password Manager or a Standalone Service? (Consumer Reports)

Above all, I suggest subscribing to a password manager. A password manager can save your usernames, passwords, passkeys, and more; help you access your accounts quickly and easily; generate strong passwords; allow you to share passwords securely; and let you know when a password or other info has been found on the dark web (due to data breaches). I’ve been using 1Password for more than a decade. I can’t imagine living without it!

While I completely recommend 1Password (which happens to be a Canadian company), other good ones are available, such as NordPass, Keeper, and Dashlane to name a few. You’ll want an application that works and syncs across platforms, browsers, and devices.

Password security has never been more important. Be safe!

Reply to this email anytime and let me know how you manage your passwords. If reading this on theowlsedge.ca, subscribers can log in and leave me a comment. I’d love to hear from you.

Hoot worthy: Atomic Habits by James Clear

Atomic Habits by James Clear

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