How often do you reuse your password on your social media handles? Probably more than once. Some of us are guilty of repeating the same on our work accounts too. Call it laziness or pure ignorance, most of us have found ourselves avoiding the efforts needed to use innovative and unique passwords on our online accounts.

Now, what happens if even one of them is compromised of security? Your hacker has hacked into your one and only password and now attempts to get a hand on your most critical account. Since you are using the exact same passcode everywhere, you are void of privacy all of a sudden. Technically, you just served your entire company data out on a plate to your hacker. The obvious culprit here is- poor password security.

Why Security Is A Concern?

The importance of data in the current phase is quite high. The internet of things, artificial intelligence, and machine learning gummed together with devices like smartphones, home theatre systems, home appliances, thermostats, and more, security is bound to become a matter of concern. Data is being fetched from multiple channels by firms and business giants in order to target the right audience, mostly for personal and business gains.

For instance, medical insurance companies are vying for data from health applications installed in your smartphones. By studying the data collected by these apps, such as your daily steps, your heart rate, the sleep hours, blood sugar levels, the amount of water you are drinking, and your daily calorie intake, insurance companies will know exactly who to target. In short, we are letting them know our weaknesses and becoming the victims of targeted marketing. As harmless as it may seem, a privacy breach is never pleasant.

Data: The Two-Edged Sword

The irony that hypes up data security is the role that data plays. Where, on one hand, businesses are trying to build themselves on data, on the other hand, it can also pose itself to be a threat. Cases of ransomware and data breaches have recently risen and are making the news every other day. So, not only is it important to collect data, protecting it is equally necessary.

So, What Can Be Done To Ensure Data Security?

As already specified, the bad guy here is your weak password. Obviously enough, data security is not all about strong passwords, yet it is the first and foremost step when it comes to keeping hackers at bay. So, before anything else, business owners need to ensure their password security is in place. Here’s what you can do:

Take Your Passwords More Seriously

According to research, more than 80% of data breaches were a result of weak or stolen passwords. This suggests the importance of passphrases in ensuring the security of your data. Passwords are the first thing a hacker wants when trying to get his hands on your personal information. It is, thus, necessary to keep a watch on your passwords. Setting up one and completely forgetting about it is only going to expose your information to risk. Here’s what you can do to prevent break-ins:

Refrain yourself from using obvious passwords-

Your password should not be something that is obvious. For example, your date of birth, place of birth, your nickname, your pet’s name, and obviously not your own name. If the hacker has even the slightest personal information about your life, he’ll figure out a way to break in.

Do not share your password-

Not even with your best friend. No one needs to know your passcodes, no matter how close you are. Also, ensure no one is looking at the keyboard while you enter the secret code. Some people are good at remembering combinations and may try to hack into your account later.

A unique password for every platform-

One of the biggest red flag when it comes to password security is the practice of repeating the same password on multiple platforms. Try using unique combinations on every platform to make sure all of your data is protected. Avoid choosing convenience over security.

Retire your passwords every three months-

Because passphrases come with an expiry date. To add an extra layer of security to your critical data, ensure that you are changing your passcodes at regular intervals.

Finally: The Other Security Measures

Hackers are becoming stronger by the day. Just as data security measures grow stronger, hackers move a step ahead. Thus, a robust password is only half the work done. There are certain steps that become imperative if your goal is to ensure complete data security. Multi-factor authentication, devices free from malware, data encryption, allowing limited access only to people you trust, regular data backups are some of the important security measures you need to employ to ensure data security.