Weak passwords & how to protect your data

In the digital age, password security has become paramount for safeguarding our online identities, assets, and privacy. With the proliferation of internet-based services, from social media platforms to financial accounts, we entrust sensitive information to the digital realm.

Ensuring the robustness of our passwords serves as the first line of defense against unauthorized access, data breaches, and other cyber threats.

This article explores the risks of weak passwords and highlights best practices for creating strong and secure passwords.

Also discussed are the roles of multi-factor authentication and password managers in enhancing password security.

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The anatomy of a weak password

Weak passwords, distinguished by their brevity and obviousness, significantly threaten personal information and online accounts. They provide a straightforward pathway for hackers, who can easily decipher them using readily available password-cracking techniques.

This underscores the need for robust password security practices, particularly at the enterprise level, to safeguard sensitive information and protect against cybersecurity threats.

What is a weak password?

A weak password lacks sufficient complexity, length, and uniqueness, making it simple to guess or crack through various attack methods.

In a corporate setting, password security and the strength of passwords are critical to protecting sensitive information and digital assets belonging to the user and the organization.

Two kinds of password securities are commonly used in businesses today: individual and company-wide.

Individual password security involves:

Employees and users creating strong, unique passwords.

Regularly updating them.

Refraining from sharing or reusing them across accounts.

This practice uses multi-factor authentication (MFA) and biometric verification to add an extra layer of protection.

Company-wide password security involves establishing comprehensive policies and protocols across the organization and includes:

Enforcing password complexity requirements.

Implementing password expiration and rotation policies.

Restricting access to authorized personnel.

Employing advanced authentication methods (single sign-on (SSO) and identity and access management (IAM) systems).

This practice aims to mitigate risks, prevent unauthorized access, and ensure the organization’s overall cybersecurity posture.

Characteristics of weak passwords

Some common patterns found in weak passwords include:

Simple dictionary words or names: Using common words like “password” or personal names like “John” or “Emily” as passwords make them extremely weak and vulnerable to a dictionary attack. This is where hackers attempt to guess passwords by trying many common words, phrases, and their simple variations from a pre-compiled list or “dictionary.”

Sequential or repeated characters: Passwords with sequential patterns like “123456” or “abcdef” or repeated characters like “aaaaaa” are very weak and easy to guess.

Personal information: Incorporating easily obtainable personal details like birthdates, addresses, or family member names into passwords makes them weak, as attackers can leverage this information.

Keyboard patterns: Using patterns from a standard keyboard layout like “qwerty” or “1qaz2wsx” as passwords is a common weak practice.

Short length: Passwords shorter than eight characters lack complexity and are considered weak, as they provide fewer possible combinations and are easier to crack through brute force attacks.

Adding numbers/symbols predictably: Appending common number combinations like “123” or symbols like “!” at the end of dictionary words (e.g., “password123!”) follows a predictable pattern that makes passwords weak.

Risks associated with weak passwords

Weak passwords are a gateway for cybercriminals, exposing individuals and organizations to unauthorized access, data breaches, identity theft, financial losses, and compromised digital security.

Unauthorized access

Weak passwords allow cyber criminals to access personal information, sensitive content, and secured databases. This can lead to identity infringement, data breaches, and other malicious activities conducted under the victim’s name.

Account takeover

If a weak password is compromised, attackers can leverage the stolen credentials to access multiple accounts where the same password is reused.

This domino effect amplifies the risk of data theft and jeopardizes overall digital security.

Data breaches

Weak passwords are an entry point for cyberpunks to infiltrate databases containing sensitive personal or organizational data. Data breaches can result in catastrophic consequences, such as financial losses, legal liabilities, and reputational damage.

Identity theft

By gaining access to accounts through weak passwords, cybercriminals can steal personal information, open lines of credit, make fraudulent purchases, and commit crimes under the victim’s identity. Getting out from under that can be painstaking.

System takeover

Weak passwords for local user accounts on servers or internal resources can enable brute-force attacks, leading to system takeover and data loss within an organization’s network.

Financial losses

In a business context, a breached account due to weak passwords can lead to stolen funds, intellectual property theft, and significant financial losses for the organization.

Common password cracking techniques

Hackers’ password-cracking techniques have become increasingly sophisticated. From brute force attacks to phishing and even password-spraying, bad actors have become creative in obtaining sensitive data.

Protecting against these standard techniques involves using strong passwords for every account you manage and enabling multi-factor authentication. The most common password-cracking techniques follow, but they are certainly not limited to this roundup.

Brute force attack

This involves using software designed to run through every possible combination of characters until the correct password is identified. It is an effective but time-consuming method, especially for longer passwords.

Dictionary attack

Hackers use a word list containing familiar words, phrases, and passwords to guess the target’s password. This exploits the tendency of many users to choose simple, dictionary-based passwords.

Phishing

Tricking users into revealing their passwords through deceptive emails, websites, or social engineering tactics.

Malware/Keyloggers

Installing malicious software on the victim’s device to record and steal passwords as they are typed.

Credential stuffing

Using credentials leaked from data breaches to access that user’s other accounts across platforms where they have reused the same passwords.

Social engineering

Coerce people into revealing private information like passwords through psychological tactics and impersonation.

Rainbow table attack

Pre-computing hashes for common passwords and comparing them against stolen password hashes to crack them efficiently.

Spidering/Scraping

Automatically scanning websites, documents, and code repositories for hardcoded or inadvertently exposed passwords.

Password spraying

Trying a few common passwords across many accounts to find a match rather than brute-forcing a single account.

8 best practices for creating strong passwords

Using a mix of characters, lengthening your password, and avoiding frequently used words are a few ways to strengthen your password creation.

By following best practices, individuals and organizations can significantly enhance the strength and security of their passwords. This makes it much harder for attackers to gain unauthorized access to sensitive accounts and data.

1. Use a mix of character types

Leveraging a combination of uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols will increase the complexity of your password and make it harder to crack through brute-force attacks.

2. Longer is stronger

Passwords should be at least 12 characters long, but the longer, the better. Longer passwords exponentially increase the number of possible combinations and make them much harder to guess.

3. Avoid personal information and simple words

Never use personal information like names, birthdates, addresses, or familiar words in dictionaries, as these are easily guessable. Instead, use random combinations of characters.

4. Use passphrases or random words

Consider using a passphrase (a sequence of random words) or combining unrelated random words, as these are easier to remember but hard to guess.

5. Use unique passwords for each account

Simply put, don’t use the same password in multiple places. If one of your accounts is compromised, you can assume all accounts using that same password are vulnerable.

Use a unique password for every account.

6. Update passwords regularly

Change passwords periodically, especially if your accounts are involved in a data breach. This limits the window of opportunity for attackers.

7. Use password managers

Password managers like LastPass or 1Password can create and save unique passwords for you across every account you manage, eliminating the need to remember or reuse passwords.

8. Enable multi-factor authentication (MFA)

MFA requires verification beyond a password, adding a much-needed layer of security to your account. This makes it much harder for nefarious hackers to access your content.

8 steps for immediate improvement

The best practices mentioned above only scratch the surface of ways to keep your data and information safe at the enterprise level.

Some other tips and tricks include:

Role-based access control (RBAC)

Implement RBAC to assign appropriate levels of access to employees based on their roles and responsibilities. Limit access to sensitive data and systems to only those who require it.

Privileged account management (PAM)

Implement PAM solutions to control and monitor access to privileged accounts tightly. Use just-in-time access and session recording to enhance security and accountability.

Single sign-on (SSO)

Consider adopting SSO solutions to allow employees to use a single set of credentials to access multiple applications, reducing the need for multiple passwords.

Password expiry notifications

Send automated notifications to employees before password expiration, ensuring they have sufficient time to update their passwords.

Account lockouts and monitoring

To identify potential security breaches, set up account lockout policies and monitor for suspicious activities, such as repeated failed login attempts.

Set a mandatory password change interval

Rotate passwords regularly for service accounts, administrative accounts, and privileged access. Implement automated reminders to prompt employees to update their passwords within the designated time frame.

Use a reputable enterprise-grade password management solution

Use this to store and manage passwords securely. Avoid sharing passwords through email or unsecured messaging platforms.

Instead, leverage the secure password-sharing features password managers provide or use encrypted communication channels when necessary.

WinZip, for example, offers IT-managed failsafe file recovery via an organization-wide ‘break the glass’ decryption method. If employees forget their passwords, or depart the company, the IT team can recover file contents with a master password.

Implement company-wide password policies and training

Develop a comprehensive password policy that outlines the requirements for password complexity, length, and expiration. Enforce multi-factor authentication (MFA) for all accounts, particularly those with access to critical systems.

Review and update the password policy through regularly scheduled training to align with evolving cybersecurity standards.

How to maintain vital password hygiene

First and foremost, use strong, unique passwords. This can’t be said enough.

Avoid using common words, phrases, personal information, or patterns that are easy to guess. And use a different, unique password for every account to limit exposure if one password is compromised.

Here are five simple steps to sidestep disaster:

Use a password generator

Password managers generate strong, random passwords and securely store them in an encrypted vault. This eliminates the need to remember or reuse passwords across accounts.

Many password managers also offer secure password-sharing features.

Require a second form of verification

Enable multi-factor authentication (MFA) beyond just a password. This could be a one-time code, biometrics, or a security key, making it much harder for attackers to gain access.

Change passwords regularly

Update passwords periodically, especially if a known data breach involves your accounts. This limits the window of opportunity for exposed passwords to be exploited.

Also, avoid patterns and as mentioned above, easily guessable information.

Keep passwords private

Never share passwords with others, even trusted individuals, as they may be inadvertently compromised. Avoid storing passwords insecurely, such as in plain text documents or browser password managers.

Monitor password health

Use tools to identify weaknesses, reused passwords, or compromised content. Regularly review and update any flagged passwords to improve your overall password hygiene.

Don’t let weak passwords destroy your hard work

The fragility of weak passwords stems from their lack of complexity, randomness, and uniqueness. Leveraging automated tools, attackers can easily guess these passwords by trying common words, phrases, and predictable patterns.

Consequently, weak passwords often become the first target for individuals attempting to breach accounts. By using weak passwords, individuals expose their personal information, accounts, and data to substantial compromise.

While WinZip Enterprise is primarily known for its industry-leading file compression and encryption technology, it also plays a critical role in creating and managing strong encryption keys and help you password protect your most valuable data.

WinZip can assist in mitigating cyber threats via encryption and password protection methods, secure file sharing, and data loss prevention (DLP) software.