In 2014, 47% of American adults had their personal information stolen by hackers. CBS reported there are over 1.5 million cyber attacks in 2013. More recently NBC News revealed there were 4.2 billion records exposed in 2016. That’s approximately 3.2 billion more than in the last new years.
That number represents over 4,000 cyber attacks every day; 170 attacks every hour. Everyone online is potentially at risk of cyber-crime. In fact, you’re probably more likely to have your email account hacked than having your home broken into.
The number of attacks specifically targeting businesses illustrates an average of 16,856 attacks per year. That’s 46 attacks every business has to deal with every day or nearly two attacks every hour.
How many passwords do you have? If you’re like most business owners, the answer is “too many”. In the course of a month, the average individual visits over 25 different password-protected websites. That’s a lot of information to remember.
To make it simpler, some people use the same weak password for multiple sites. In fact, 65% of people use the same password everywhere. However, the practice of using the same password across many sites makes your business vulnerable. Ninety percent (90%) of employee passwords can be cracked within six hours. To see exactly how fast a hacker can crack your password go to: HowSecureIsMyPassword.net
When you’re using the same password that means that one simple crack unleashes ALL of your important information to hackers.
The solution is to use secure passwords that are virtually impossible to crack – long (15 or more characters) passwords consisting of upper case letters, lower case letters, numbers, and special characters. Many websites even require users to create secure passwords this way. One easy options that can help you create stronger passwords we found to be helpful was https://thebestvpn.com/password-generator.
The “catch 22” is that while secure passwords are a must, they’re also impossible to remember. If you’re creating different, 15+ character passwords for each website, that’s the equivalent of 375 random letters, which is nearly impossible to remember.
Password Manager There Is A Better Way
If only there was a better way to remember strong passwords. Lucky for you, there is! LastPass is a password manager with a single sign on that helps businesses access websites quickly and securely.
LastPass provides automatic login from every major browser with extensions for Chrome, Firefox, Opera, Internet Explorer, and Safari or with apps on iOS and Android. You can instantly access password-protected websites and apps without typing or remembering a username and password.
LastPass offers a free account that includes all the basic features for those looking for a great password management system.
They offer two paid plans starting at $12/year for Premium, which includes a “Shared Family Folder” for up to 5 users and access via mobile devices. As well as the Enterprise plan at $24/year for teams of all sizes.
Safe and Controllable Access to Your Accounts for Team Members
One of the major features, and in my opinion one of the most valuable, is the ability to share account access with team members in a way that is controllable and secure.
When you share access to an application with a team member, they are sent an invitation that allows them instant access. What’s so wonderful about it is that while they have access to the account, they do not have the ability to see the actual password that accesses that account.
Additionally, you can control access from your management screen, including adding or revoking access. This makes the on-boarding of new team members and the management of exiting team members super easy. No longer do you need to worry about spending countless hours getting someone all the account information and logins they need to get started. And no longer do you need to worry about team members that have left having access to your accounts. It’s all managed with just a few clicks through LastPass keeping your accounts safe and secure.
LastPass – the Ultimate Password Management Tool for Entrepreneurs
When it comes to evaluating technology for my business, I typically look at three major factors:
Will it save time?
Is it easy, user friendly, and easy to manage?
Does it make my business more efficient?
In my opinion, LastPass receives a solid ‘YES’ on each of these factors.
It’s a definite time saver (and stress reducer) for anyone who is trying to manage multiple logins to multiple applications and programs. Get your account and start using the password management system today: http://LastPass.com
Remember this: “Passwords should be managed not remembered”