As ERP consultants and IT network and security experts, we come across examples of password mismanagement and some horror stories that occur when there’s a breach. We thought the recent news about the hacker selling LinkedIn passwords makes it a good time to review password best practices. When it comes to password management. Also, this is a quick warning to all LinkedIn users: now may be the time to change your passwords.
While LinkedIn passwords were hacked back in 2012, it’s the recent news that is alarming. Earlier this May 2016 we learned that the hackers started selling about 117 million LinkedIn credentials. The passwords come from a breach resulting in criminals getting a copy of the password database from the popular business networking site. Here is Linkedin’s official comment on the breach.
6 Tips to Protect your Personal and Business Accounts with Strong and Protected Passwords
1. Use Complex Passwords: Complex passwords don’t follow logic and contain Upper and lower case with symbols and numbers. Mix it up. The most common combination is to star with a CAP then lowercase then two ## then special character (@&%&!*). Be sure to mix it up with:
- Uppercase characters
- Lowercase characters
- Non-alphanumeric characters
2. Avoid Password Lists: Do not store your passwords on a spreadsheet, on a piece of paper, on your phone or in your Outlook contacts.
3. Password Length Matters: Over 8 Characters but not too long: While the passwords were hashed, they were not salted; this leaves shorter (Under 12-15 characters) passwords easy to find in a resources known as Rainbow tables. For more information on the technical terms, and how to protect yourself, Mantralogix has a blog post on passwords and multifactor authentication.
4. Do Not Reuse Your Passwords: The real concern is that many users have a habit of password reuse which is considered quite dangerous in the realm of computer security. With the breach of this database, hackers have access to emails and passwords of LinkedIn users. With this information they can being looking at other popular services, including Google+, Youtube, Facebook, and even banks, where someone might have used the same email and password combination - for example, in light of this breach, Reddit has moved towards resetting 100,000 passwords. If you have reused your LinkedIn password on any other site, it is strongly recommended that those passwords be checked as well.
5. Activate Multifactor Authentication: Whenever possible, it’s worth the extra peace of mind to activate multifactor authentication on your LinkedIn and other accounts. Linkedin offers a two step sign in process where a security code will be texted to your phone. To activate multifactor authentication on LinkedIn check out this blog post.
6. Back Up Frequently: When a business gets hacked with randsomware, the experts advise not to pay the randsom but start over from your last back up.
Learn more about how our IT department can serve you, call 1-866-320-8922 or email us at info@mantralogix.com and we’d be happy to help!
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About Mantralogix
Mantralogix specializes in the implementation, support, and training of world-class ERP solutions from Sage, including Sage MAS 500, Sage 300 (formerly Accpac), and Sage X3, Sage PFW, and Sage BusinessVision Accounting (BV). We also help with CRM, HRMS, custom development, hardware, and IT consulting and outsourcing. Mantralogix has in-house expertise in designing, developing and implementing solutions for financial, manufacturing and distribution verticals. Contact us today at 866-320-8922 or visit www.mantralogix.com
Another version of this article was previously posted on Mantralogix’s Blog Sage X3 Product Update 9: What you need to know!
Photo courtesy of www.freedigitalphotos.net by lekkyjustdoit