WATERTIGHT
SECURITY EVOLVES
FROM VIGILANCE
As password protection is as dominant a subject as ever in
the cybersecurity space, we asked industry experts how they
would advise staying secure in a password-driven society,
particularly as COVID-19 has meant a spike in cyberattacks.
asswords: so simple,
P
yet so effective. They
have been regularly
used for so many
years that it’s hard to
imagine an alternative
for them. And it’s only more recently that
technologies like fingerprint ID have even
created an alternative.
Although there is a very strong
temptation to use the same password
for everything – all while writing it down
in a ‘safe’ place – it is important to
remember passwords are only as strong
as you make them. We asked technology
experts to gather their thoughts and
advice on business best practice of the
commonly misused tools.
Some sound advice
going online,” said Jay Ryerse, VP of
Cybersecurity Initiatives at ConnectWise.
Ryerse continued: “To ensure your
personal and work-related accounts, as
well as the sensitive data residing within
them, remain secure:
• Use a password manager – but do
your research. Some have been
breached in the past and you want
to make sure your choice is reliable,
safe and up to date
• Use a different, complex password
for every website. This reduces your
Jay Ryerse, VP of Cybersecurity Initiatives
at ConnectWise
risk of credential stuffing attacks,
where hackers take login details
harvested from breached websites
to log into users’ accounts on
other unaffected sites. A password
manager makes this process much
easier as it will create lengthy, unique
passwords for each site
Passwords are often associated with
inconvenience and for good reason.
Employees and consumers alike
are overwhelmed by the thought of
remembering login details for 100–200
websites and making them difficult for
bad actors to guess. “It’s important to
look at the practical solutions to this
impractical problem, accelerated by
more and more aspects of our lives
74 Issue 28 | www.intelligentciso.com