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How to Create a Truly Secure Password

NAĎA ŠOLCOVÁ

8 MIN READ

In a digital world where most applications and systems require login credentials, password security is essential. Poorly protected data can jeopardize not only individuals but entire organizations. Therefore, it is crucial for every team member to understand the importance of handling passwords securely. It’s important to realize that one careless team member can compromise the security of the entire company.

Let’s take a closer look at how to ensure your data remains properly password-protected and cannot be misused to harm your organization.

Having strong and secure passwords is critical, but proper storage is equally important. In this section, we will explore best practices for creating and managing passwords, as well as tools that can help you keep your passwords safe.

Use Password Managers

Password managers are an effective tool for securely generating, storing, and managing passwords. They allow you to keep all your passwords in one place and sync them across devices, with access protected by a single master password or biometric data.

Benefits of using a password manager:

  • Secure Generation: Creates strong, unique passwords for every account.
  • Encrypted Storage: Passwords are securely encrypted, minimizing the risk of misuse.
  • Easy Management: Allows you to have unique passwords for each account, increasing security.
  • Convenient Access: Even if you don’t remember your passwords, you can always access them through the password manager.

Some of the most well-known and widely used password manager services include:

  • 1Password – Known for its user-friendly interface and strong security features, it allows you to securely store and manage passwords, sensitive information, and generate strong passwords.
  • LastPass – One of the most popular password managers, offering a wide range of features, including auto-fill forms, password generation, and synchronization across devices.
  • Dashlane – Offers comprehensive password management, secure password sharing, dark web monitoring to detect data breaches, and even a VPN service.
  • Bitwarden – An open-source password manager that has gained popularity for its transparency, security, and self-hosting capabilities. Bitwarden is also affordable and offers a free version with many features.
  • NordPass – Provides a modern design and easy-to-use interface, password generation, alerts for weak passwords, and synchronization across devices.
  • Norton Password Manager – Part of Norton’s security suites, this manager offers basic features for managing and generating passwords, device synchronization, and protecting sensitive data.
  • Apple iCloud Keychain – A built-in password manager for Apple devices that allows you to securely store and sync passwords across your devices via iCloud.

And many others…

Keep Your Master Password for the Password Manager Strong and Secure

A password manager requires one master password that grants you access to all your stored passwords. This password should be the strongest of all the ones you use, yet easy enough for you to remember and type as part of your routine. Since it serves as the main key to your other passwords, its compromise could have serious consequences. We will share tips on how to create such a password later in this article.

Two-Factor Authentication for Password Managers

If your password manager offers two-factor authentication (2FA), be sure to enable it. Two-factor authentication provides an additional layer of protection, meaning that even if someone discovers your master password, they won’t be able to access your passwords without the second verification factor (e.g., a code sent to your phone).

Avoid Storing Passwords in Your Browser

While storing passwords in your browser may be convenient, it is not a secure solution. An attacker who gains access to your device can easily exploit these passwords. Password managers provide a significantly higher level of encryption and security.

Avoid Reusing Passwords

Use a unique password for each account. Reusing passwords increases risk – if one password is compromised, it can give attackers access to your other accounts.

Regularly Update Your Password Manager

As with any software, it’s important to regularly update your password manager to apply the latest security patches and features. This ensures your data remains protected from newly discovered vulnerabilities.

Be Extremely Cautious When Sharing Passwords

If you find yourself needing to share a password for an online service with colleagues or family members, do so only through secure channels. Many password managers allow secure password sharing with other users without revealing the password in an unprotected form. Avoid sending passwords via email or other unsecured communication methods. In any case, consider such a password compromised and change it as soon as possible.

Regularly Review Your Passwords

Conduct regular audits of your passwords. Password managers often notify you about weak or compromised passwords. If you discover that your login credentials have been leaked (e.g., through a service like Have I Been Pwned), change the password immediately to a stronger one.

Is it the right policy to force users to change their passwords periodically?

Many companies and online services require users to change their passwords periodically but fail to consider how users store their passwords. Forcing frequent password changes can be counterproductive if tools for managing passwords are not provided. Without a password manager, users often create weaker passwords or write them down in insecure places, like sticky notes on monitors. A long-term, strong, and securely stored password is better than frequent changes that lead to reduced password quality.

Tips for Creating a Secure Password

Creating a secure password that is also easy to remember can be a challenge. In this section, we will focus on practical tips and techniques to help you create passwords that are not only secure but also user-friendly.

Use Password Generators for Individual Services

One of the easiest ways to create a truly secure password is to use a password generator provided by your password manager. However, such passwords are not easy to remember or manually type. They are ideal for storage in a password manager but not suitable for passwords you need to enter independently, such as the master password for your password manager.

What Does a Strong Generated Password Look Like? For Example: „.GzosDov#GXs&^~uerf(*^))(*6871*“

Create a Memorable Master Password Using Phrases

Another effective technique for creating a secure yet memorable password is using easy-to-remember word combinations, ideally ones that cannot be found in a dictionary. Instead of a random sequence of characters, you can use a longer combination of words that together form a unique and secure passphrase.

You can incorporate slang words, childhood words known only to you, memorable slips of the tongue, and enhance the phrase with numbers (avoid birth years or obvious sequences) and non-alphanumeric characters. Using national diacritics is also an option, but be prepared for potential keyboard difficulties when typing.

Avoid using personal information such as names, birth dates, phone numbers, or parts of your address. These details are often easy to find and can be used by attackers to guess your password.

What Does a Strong but Memorable Password Look Like? For Example: „GRumpyCOmplained~ThenLetItGo78559#

Tip for Company Leadership

Ensure your team members have the necessary knowledge and tools to secure your company’s data. Train your employees on how to handle passwords and teach them to generate secure passwords properly. Do not allow them to store passwords anywhere other than in certified password managers. Regularly audit how your employees manage corporate data security.

One of the tips provided by Teamogy is the Password Quality Checker, which informs users about the strength of their password every time they log in. The passwords are not sent anywhere; the evaluation is performed directly within the login page. The result is a password quality index represented on a scale of 1–5. The assessment outcome is recorded in the user’s profile, giving company leadership insight into which users have weak passwords. This allows management to require irresponsible users to set sufficiently strong passwords.

Teamogy Login Page Password Quality Checker
Teamogy System Password Quality Checker
NAĎA ŠOLCOVÁ

NAĎA ŠOLCOVÁ

Naďa is a Partner & Head of Sales at AD-IN-ONE Europe, a company developing and implementing the modern cloud-based system Teamogy.

Her focus is on business activities primarily aimed at acquiring new clients by understanding their needs in managing and running their companies. The goal is to work individually with each client to identify and tailor the use and setup of Teamogy in a way that significantly improves the company’s operations, saves time and costs, and provides greater opportunities for the growth of the company and its team.

Naďa leverages her extensive experience from her previous role leading OgilvyOne, which, under her leadership, became the top-rated branch among nearly 170 offices in the global network according to the Five Star Agency evaluation program. Additionally, Naďa created and managed educational programs such as ogilvyinstitute.com and win-win institute, focusing on strategy, marketing, and soft skills.
Combining her work with her hobbies, Naďa has a strong interest in coaching. She has completed three coach training programs certified by ČAKO and ICF, making her a certified coach.

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