TELUS Talks Business - a knowledge hub for business conversation

You can protect your computer -- and more importantly, the sensitive information that may reside on it – without needing a degree in computer engineering.

If you've been following the news lately, you've no doubt read up on all the computer attacks, data breaches and cases of identity theft. Consider it a by-product of the information age.

So, what to do? We've covered a lot of ground in this Telus Talks Business blog over the past year – from tips on securing your wireless network to safer online shopping to reducing the odds of a spammed "phishing" attack – but now let's cover a few tips to creating a strong password for anything you or your business associates do online.

The basics

Creating a good password isn't difficult, but it does more time to come up with one than using common ones like "password," "123456," your phone number or your kids' or pet's names – all of which are not recommended for obvious reasons. A strong password is at least 7 characters long, has a combination of letters, numbers and symbols, and the same password shouldn’t be used for all of your online activities. After all, once someone finds out one password, they've got access to everything else. There are also some online password checkers that evaluate the strength of your password.

Words and acronyms work, too

If you don't want to use the recommended combination of letters, numbers and symbols, at least keep in mind single word passwords are easier to break than multiple word passwords. Instead of "monkey," use something like "orangemonkey" or "bigmonkeyface." Alternatively, use the first letter from a phrase – say, from a favourite song – so Bruno Mars' "Liquor Store Blues feat. Damian Marley" becomes "LSBFDM." This should be an easy password to remember – and better yet, at a number and symbol to this, too.

Managing multiple passwords

Because it's recommended not to use the same password for everything, come up with a system to better remember each of them, such as adding a relevant letter to the front, middle or end of the password – such as "b" for "banking," "s" for shopping, "f" for Facebook or "d" for an online dating site. If it's difficult to remember your passwords, use a trusted "password manager" program on your computer or smartphone, which requires a master password to get in, and then you can see all the rest of the passwords inside.

Change it up

Every so often, change up your passwords just to keep malicious types on their toes. How often you do it boils down to your comfort level, but I’d recommend at least every couple of months is probably conservative enough. Again, this is a personal thing, but the longer you keep the same password, the greater the chance someone could guess it, share it and use the information against you if they’re motivated enough. On a related note, don’t share your password. A recent U.S.-based survey showed tweens and teens frequently give out their passwords to friends -- and don't change it after they've had a falling out.

A step ahead

Google, for example, now offers a two-step authentication process, which serves as an extra security measure to protect your online accounts from being compromised. It confirms you – and only you – are granted access to your Google apps, such as Gmail. In addition to a standard username and password you'll also need a code that's sent via text message to your mobile phone. Before you gain access to the Google app, you'll be prompted to enter that short verification code. Instead of a text message, you can also download and install the Google Authenticator app on your Android, BlackBerry or iPhone. Many other companies are using two-step authentication, as well.

Heed the call

When you set up a landline or mobile phone voicemail, depending on your provider/carrier your voicemail password by default might be the last 4 digits of your phone number (9492) or the month and year of your birthdate (e.g. 0471 for April of 1971). Don’t keep these default voicemail passwords -- they're only meant to help you log in once and chance it to something else. Someone can easily see your birthday on Facebook; even if you don’t reveal the information, chances are family, friends and colleagues will post something to your wall on the big day.

Public enemy no. 1

If you're using a public computer – such as a shared PC at a library, cybercafé or airport lounge – be sure not to do private things better done at home (such as online banking). You might forget to clear the browser history, cache and cookies (or accidentally click to "remember my password" on these sites) and the next person could gain access. Or, there could be "keystroke logging" software or hardware on the public PC that tracks what you type on the keyboard -- a tip is to use the mouse on an onscreen keyboard offered by Windows if you must enter a password.

586 Views 1 Comments Permalink Tags: 1-9, 10-99, 100+, 15_minutes, android, app, app_week, balance, blackberry, business, enterprise, entrepreneur, evan_carmichael, flexible_work, ipad, iphone, leadership, marc_saltzman, mobile, mobile_working, small_business, smartphone, social_media, strategy, tips, password, windows, pc, computer

Welcome to our App of the Week series where we highlight Smartphone and iPad applications for business.

How many different user ID's and passwords do you have? Start with the basics like email or a Google account and then add in business specific passwords such as alarm codes, wireless routers and bank or purchasing account numbers. It's not uncommon for a business user to have 20, 30 or more passwords, PIN numbers or secure phrases. But how do you keep track of them all?

The most common solution is really not a solution at all: use the same password for everything. Managing your website login for movie tickets with the same password as accessing your business banking records isn't a balanced approach. Another solution is to write down all of the passwords in a notebook, attach sticky notes to your computer or use the virtual notes feature on a program such as Microsoft Outlook. Not only do these options put your data at risk, they aren't the most mobile friendly (just imagine losing your notebook and a thief finding your password list – jackpot!).

1Password Pro ($14.99 from the iTunes store) is an iPhone based solution that securely manages all of your passwords, logins and other important codes on the go. When you think about it, managing passwords using a Smartphone app makes really good business sense – you always have the phone with you so management is convenient and in real-time. The same goes for an iPad as more business users work on the go with a tablet style device (the Pro version works on both an iPad and iPhone).

When it comes to passwords, security is the number one concern. 1Password Pro uses 128 bit AES encryption to store passwords and control program access. This level of security is similar to what financial organizations use to secure Internet banking data. For those who are interested, a full description is available on the Agile Web Solutions website.

Using the App

Accessing the program is done through two layers of security – a 4 digit pin code to access most passwords and a master password (anything you choose it to be) to access restricted areas or to make program changes. If you already use a password to secure your iPhone, it's a good idea to make these passwords different in order to take advantage of the second layer of security.

The app itself is very clean looking and friendly to use. A new user can get up to speed and add their password data within seconds.

Once in the program, 1Password has four main category icons to sort existing data:

Logins – Simple website login/password combinations. This is where you would keep items like your Gmail, Aeroplan and TELUS Talks Business logins.
Accounts – Stores more complex account information. For example, databases where a server, port, user ID, password, etc, are all required.
Wallet – Secure personal items including credit card numbers, memberships and licences.
Passwords – Generates and stores a complex password. Probably the most useful section as it helps you create unique and highly secure passwords that you would be unlikely to remember without assistance.
Notes – Once you add your first note, Notes will replace Passwords as one of the main category icons. Consider this feature a secure version of your sticky notes and add whatever text you desire.

When you want to add new passwords, you can go directly through the main category icons, however I have found it much better to select the last category – More – and then selecting Add. From the Add screen, options are easily available to add everything from Software activation codes to generating a new password. Very easy to use.

Backing up the items in 1Password Pro has both an automatic and a manual side. First, like all iPhone/iPad applications, 1Password Pro is backed up during every iTunes sync. Second, 1Password Pro offers the ability to both save an encrypted copy of the password database to a computer or wirelessly sync (over Wi-Fi) to a computer running the full desktop version of 1Password (which costs extra but does make all of your data easily sharable between business computers).

Conclusion

Passwords and security is often brushed to the side in favour of convenience. 1Password Pro provides an easy to use method of securing password data and managing its access all from the convenience of an iPhone. Although its asking price may cause some to shy away, it's a small price in comparison to the value of your business data.

1,032 Views 0 Comments Permalink Tags: app, smartphone, iphone, app_week, ipad, security, password, 1password, 1password_pro

Talking Business

Easy ways to strengthen your passwords

Business App of the Week – 1Password Pro for iPhone & iPad

Using the App

Conclusion

Actions

Recent Comments

Popular Blog Posts

Filter Blog