Managing Passwords Efficiently

Nineteen billion passwords in the wild - and we are still making the same mistakes!  🔐 Recently, researchers published a report analyzing over 19 billion passwords that were exposed within the last year, with a staggering 94% being reused across multiple accounts. Despite years of security education, users still prefer shorter passwords because they are easier to type and memorize. This isn’t just a statistic—it’s a reflection of a persistent issue in our approach to cybersecurity. The Reuse Epidemic Common passwords like “123456” and “password” continue to dominate, appearing millions of times in the leaked data. This widespread reuse creates a fertile ground for cybercriminals employing techniques like password spraying, where attackers attempt common passwords across many accounts to gain unauthorized access. A Personal Lesson Back in January 2016, during my tenure at a previous organization, we experienced a password spray attack. The attackers exploited the password “Winter2016”—a password that, while meeting compliance standards, was widely used due to our policy requiring quarterly password changes. Employees often defaulted to seasonal passwords like “Spring2016” or “Summer2016”, making it predictable and vulnerable. Moving Forward This breach underscores the urgent need to rethink our password policies: Promote the use of passphrases: Encourage longer, more complex passwords that are harder to crack. Use a password manager (like 1Password or Keeper Security, Inc.) to avoid reusing passwords and not fall victim to having to remember them. Make sure you have a very long and memorable passphrase + MFA protecting your vault. Use biometrics when supported and turn on any other security features, like requiring additional confirmations from unknown devices. Let’s not wait for another password compromise to take action. Strengthening our password practices is a critical step in safeguarding our digital identities. #cybersecurity #passwordsafety #MFA #cyberawareness

Most creators make this mistake! Using the same password across social accounts, email, & cloud storage. Here's the BIG problem: You're handing over the keys to to your digital kingdom by using the same passwords. One breach on any site could open the door to all your accounts. Your hard work, videos, photos, & personal brand fall into the wrong hands! There's a smarter way to remember complex & unique passwords though. Let a Password Manager do it for you. Here's how it works: → It simplifies logins & secures your access → Generates unique, complex passwords for each account → Stores them in an encrypted vault → It can securely sync passwords across devices → It can even autofill your credentials on secure devices No need to store passwords in Excel sheets anymore. Or on your mobiles. Protect your creative empire with a password manager and keep your accounts safe! A single password should never define your security. Here's a list of 4 commonly used Password Managers: - 1Password - Bitwarden - LastPass - RoboForm P.S. Is anyone using Password Managers? Let me know your experience. I use LastPass. ---- Hi! I’m Rajeev Mamidanna. I help CISOs strengthen Cybersecurity Strategies + Build Authority on LinkedIn.

Microsoft Password Guidance 🛡 📌 This paper provides Microsoft’s recommendations for password management based on current research and lessons from our own experience as one of the largest Identity Providers (IdPs) in the world. It covers recommendations for end users and identity administrators. 📌Summary of Recommendations  1. Maintain an 8-character minimum length requirement (and longer is not necessarily better). 2. Eliminate character-composition requirements. 3. Eliminate mandatory periodic password resets for user accounts. 4. Ban common passwords, to keep the most vulnerable passwords out of your system. 5. Educate your users not to re-use their password for non-work-related purposes. 6. Enforce registration for multi-factor authentication. 7. Enable risk based multi-factor authentication challenges