Adopting Good Password Habits in the Work Environment

Here's something you'll probably be interested in: some experts seem to think that if you're doing a good job of protecting yourself online, your employer should give you more money. They argue that cybersecurity training courses are ineffective because employees perceive them as a chore, and that the threat of punishment doesn't always work because, as we all know, "it won't happen to me." If a few extra bucks are offered for staying safe, however, you'll probably put in the effort. At least that's what these experts say.

If the company you work for announces that there will be financial incentives for good online security, you, along with the rest of your colleagues, will naturally want to get the bonus. Here are some of the things that can help you earn the reward.

Stop reusing the same password

It's been said before, but it's worth repeating. Password reuse is one of the worst yet most common mistakes users make both at work and at home. It's a simple way of managing your login data, and it's also a simple way of making the hackers' lives easier. If you reuse your passwords, a data breach at a single service could result in the compromise of all your personal and work-related accounts. Data breaches, in case you haven't heard, happen every day.

Make sure your passwords are strong

Getting hacked in the office could be much more damaging than getting hacked at home. A successful attack could reveal not only your personal information but sensitive data of your colleagues and clients as well as corporate secrets. The stakes are high, the loot is hefty, and the hackers are extremely motivated.

Passwords like "password" or "p@ssword" just won't cut the mustard. Your passwords must be long, unique, and full of a random selection of letters, numbers, and special characters. This sounds like a lot of hard work, and it is, which is why you might want to consider adopting a dedicated tool like Cyclonis Password Manager.

Enable two-factor authentication

From a security standpoint, the idea of proving your identity via a username and a password is flawed in many different ways. Unfortunately, for the time being, we don't have a better authentication system that can be implemented quickly and painlessly, which is why we're trying to come up with other ways of making the traditional login procedure more secure.

Two-factor authentication is our best achievement in that respect. The concept revolves around a hardware or software token that's required in addition to the password. That way, you can be sure that even if hackers manage to steal your login data, they still won't be able to get in.

Make sure your colleague is just as savvy as you are

As we've established already, every single person in the office is responsible for the security of the whole company and its business partners. Make sure that everyone is aware of their responsibility and the risks.

This is no walk in the park. Cybersecurity training is often considered an expensive nuisance, but with a bit of teamwork, people's attitude towards the problem could change quickly.

Can we get back to that security bonus now?

With that, it's time to claim the security bonus. Or maybe it isn't.

You see, even though some experts think that you deserve an award for being security conscious, this doesn't necessarily mean that your employer agrees. There's also the question of whether financial incentives really are going to solve the cybersecurity problem in the office.

Practicing good security and password hygiene shouldn't be triggered by a bigger paycheck. It should be compulsory for every single employee, and it should ideally be ingrained in their brains. To do that, they need to be aware of the dangers they face every day as well as the tools they have at their disposal to stay safe. Investing in education rather than financial incentives could produce a better result in the end.