Donald Trump once said “Nobody gets hacked unless it's by someone with an IQ of 197 and already has 'about 15%' of the victim’s password”... Unfortunately, this is FAKE NEWS.
One of the most common ways that hackers break into computers is by guessing passwords.Your passwords should be long, complex and contain a combination of at least 10 characters or be a ‘passphrase’, rather than a password. Hands up if your password is “password”? Or your birthday, or your pet’s name? (actually maybe better not to admit to these things, as you never know who’s watching!)
However, one of the most important things to consider when it comes to passwords is how you store them and, NO, the answer is not at the back of a notebook that permanently sits beside your computer. This is where password managers come in. Password managers are a secure, automated, all-digital replacement for that notebook. What they do is generate strong new passwords when you create an account, or change a password, and they store all of these passwords (and more) in one place, protecting them with a single strong master password. If you remember the master password, your password manager will remember everything else, auto-filling your username and password for you whenever you log in to a site or app on your phone or on your computer.
There are a number of password managers out there to help, and we’ve picked out 3 of the best.
1Password is possibly the most popular password manager out there. Not only does it manage your passwords but it also alerts you when a password is weak or compromised, and is compatible with iOS, Android, Windows and Chrome. One of its best features is the Travel Mode. Travel Mode allows you to delete any sensitive data from your devices before you travel, and then restore it with a click after you’ve crossed the border. On top of this it also has a categories feature meaning you can keep your passwords organised. However, there is no free version of 1Password and it works out at about £26 a year.
While 1Password is the most popular password manager, Dashlane has recently added a number of features that makes it stand out against its competitors. Unlike 1Password, it gives you the option to not store any passwords on Dashlane’s servers. It also includes a Site Breach Alert feature whereby it will actively monitor the dark corners of the web, looking for leaked or stolen personal data, and then alerts you if your information has been compromised. On top of this, Dashlane will analyse your password strengths and auto-save all your online receipts while also giving you the option to update your passwords with a single click. However, while Dashlane does come for free, there are certain features that you can only get on the premium version which costs about £2.50 a month. These features include the option to sync between apps and a free VPN. Dashlane isn’t ideal for pages with multiple logins and has limited cloud storage options.
Nordpass is a relatively new addition to the password manager club. It is easy to set up, and is compatible with many platforms. Recently, Nordpass have introduced a personal information storage feature to keep your address, phone number and other personal data safe and secure, but also easy to access. Nordpass uses a zero-knowledge setup in which all data is encrypted on your device before it’s uploaded to the company’s servers. Other pros include two-factor authentication and a built-in password generator. However, like Dashlane, the free version has limitations. It is limited to one device and there are limited options for organising saved credentials. It also doesn’t offer team or enterprise plans.
To conclude, using a password manager will not only save you trying to remember dozens of different logins, but can also help you keep them secure by generating hard-to-guess passwords and storing them in an encrypted vault. Growing online security concerns mean that password managers are an essential tool for protecting yourself online!
Have you ever considered what information is stored on your phone?
Your contacts’ details, your diary, personal photos, access to your bank accounts, passwords for pretty much everything in your life…
It’s pretty safe to say that you wouldn’t want your phone to fall into the wrong hands, but even if it did, hopefully you would have a passcode to protect all that information from being accessed by any nefarious individuals.
But, when it comes to the security of your customers’ data collected on your website, are you doing all you need to protect it?
Many people think that having a secure site is only important for online stores, or websites that require visitors to input over-sensitive information such as credit card details, home addresses and financial data.
Of course, it is essential for these sites to be secure, but a secure website is important for everyone. If you have a form on your site that asks visitors to fill in their details (name, email etc) then you have a legal responsibility to manage their data securely (Data Protection Act 2018- GDPR).
On top of that, website security is also a ranking factor in search engines such as Google. Browsers such as Chrome, Safari and Firefox have begun issuing warnings that certain sites are insecure.
Secure websites also convey confidence to your audience and show you are trustworthy, making visitors more likely to do business with you. Having a secure site is essential, regardless of what your company does.
The first way to know that your site is secure is to check the SSL certificate. The SSL certificate (Secure Sockets Layer) is used to secure all data that is passed from the browser to the website’s server. Without SSL, your site visitors and customers are at a higher risk of having their data stolen.
Check the URL of your website and if it says “https”, instead of “http”, then this means your site is secure. The ‘s’ stands for secure encryption.
On top of this, if you look at the address bar, depending on your browser, you should see a small padlock just before the web address.
If you click on it, a message should pop up stating that “the connection to this site is secure”. It means that the communication between the visitor to your site, and your company, cannot be intercepted or modified.
SSL also protects your website from phishing scams, data breaches and many other threats. Ultimately, it creates a secure environment for both visitors and you, the site owners.
If you want to secure your site (and let’s face it – who doesn’t?), contact our team and we can ensure your site is hosted on one of our super fast secure servers and provide your site with an SSL certificate meaning you are GDPR-compliant and your customers’ data is protected so that you can go back to sleeping easily at night.
Now’s the time to invest in a professional lead-generating website and grow your business online. You might be surprised at how affordable a new website is, and you definitely won’t be disappointed with the finished result.
SMK Creations
Suite 714 Lisburn Enterprise Centre,
Lisburn, BT28 2BP
