October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month and I gotta tell you, kids, it couldn’t have come at a better time.
I’m hearing lots of scary security stories second-hand, and seeing plenty personally, as well. AI is helping the bad guys, giving phishing scammers new ideas and hackers more time for hacking.
So this Cybersecurity month, let’s all go back to basics and talk about good password habits.
What does password “success” look like?
Did you know that an 8-character password can be hacked in minutes, regardless of how many “special characters” it includes? On the other hand, a reasonably complex 16-character password could take millions of years to guess. This is one of the three “rules” for strong password: length, uniqueness, and complexity.
Let’s talk “uniqueness.” Every password is a snowflake: no two should be the same. And no, uniqueness is not adding new characters onto the end of your base password and calling it a day. If any variation of that password is compromised, hackers can easily guess at your formula and extrapolate your password for other critical sites.
Every password should be a combination of letters, numbers, and characters in a random string. And if you’re thinking, “I’ll never remember that,” the response is you don’t have to! Password managers are your path to a more secure, easier life. I promise.
Complexity matters less than length and uniqueness, but it still strengthens your password by adding symbols or special characters in with letters and numbers. And don’t forget about spaces, if you system allows them.
The good news: as long as your password is long, unique, and complex, you don’t have to worry about changing your password routinely. While your password manager will be a great help during password resets, you don’t need to change a strong password that should stand the test of time. But pay attention if your password is compromised, and change passwords on any site using a variation of that password (another reason not to reuse passwords). Likewise, don’t share password unless absolutely necessary, and then only with secure tools like your password manager or other sharing site.
You know the best thing for a strong password? A password manager. In case I’m not clear, a password manager is 100% your path to a more secure life, easier and quicker logins, and better skin. Ok, possibly not the last one. But you’ll probably sleep better at night. Password manager.
Password Manager Shopping
I encourage you consider the best password manager for you, but BitWarden ($), 1Password ($$), and Dashlane ($$$) are three good options across price points. Also, plan ahead with password “vaults” separating work, family, and personal passwords.
If you’d like to talk about this more, or get help onboarding your password manager, get in touch!
MOAR Account Security
In case you’re feeling inspired (or scared) this Cybersecurity month, here are a few other key tips and terms for securing your accounts. All links courtesy of the National Cybersecurity Alliance.
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Learn MoreWhat We’re Reading
News and articles of note.
- SpaceX launches Google AI chips into orbit in push toward space-based data centers
With the news being so newsy of late you may have missed that Google took its first step at putting data centers in space, with plans to power them primarily with solar. Read Google’s long-term plan. The future is now. - Sustainable Web Design in 2026
First published in 2013, this updated document from the amazing Tim Frick and his colleagues at Mightybytes shares standards for how to build usable, environmentally-conscious, and responsible websites. It’s core to what Marit Digital does and we want to share it. - Yours truly, ChatGPT [Business Insider]
How much of what you read is AI? You may not want to know… - Calls for AI regulation grow as experts warn of dystopian future
These are new calls, as of this week, with new concerns, many tied to the proposal that Anthropic, OpenAI, and Google should be the ones creating guardrails for AI use. Nothing is likely to happen before the election. Unless SkyNet takes over in the meantime.
Glory hallelujah. It was a sleeping porch on the corner of the house. It had two walls of floor-to-ceiling screens with a pair of iron cots and that promising breeze. It was dusty, it looked like it hadn’t been used in years.
I whispered, “I will be seeing you tonight, lover.”– The Calamity Club, by Kathryn Stockett
