Did you know security experts emphasize the necessity of using "strong password usage and protection" today, May 1st, worldwide? Due to their ubiquitous presence in the digital ecosystem, passwords have become the primary means of accessing our secure online environment. Despite this, we may not give digital security hygiene any thought. Often, the hidden value we believe to be ours alone may disclose a particular thinking about one or more of our unique characteristics from a certain period in time, a passion, or even our identity.

Who, in the modern, privacy-conscious digital world, do you believe is in charge of protecting your password? 

1. Is that just the two of us? 
2. Is that the duty of the developers? 
3. Is it the role of a security/quality analyst? 
4. Is it a problem for the product or solution designers/architects? 
5. Is that the job of the network/system administrator? 
6. Alternatively, it is everyone's duty! 

Examining some data taken from nationaltoday.com's World Password Day 

• According to Microsoft, 99.9% of password risks can be neutralized using multi-factor authentication. 
• 2020 was the year that credentials were the most often stolen form of data globally. 
• The proportion of data breaches using credentials or passwords is 60%. 
• 40% of respondents in a 2020 research claimed that a weak or easily cracked password has compromised their company's data.
• 99% of custodians keep keys in plain sight without protection. 
• Approximately 82% of employees acknowledged using the same passwords repeatedly. 
• The proportion of reused passwords that surfaced in several data breaches in 2020 was 60%. 
• In 2020, the proportion of data breaches caused by credential stuffing was 25%. 
• 37% of respondents still divulge their private passwords to third parties. 
• ¾: the proportion of workers that use their personal and work account passwords interchangeably. 
• Fewer than half of respondents are quite certain that their credentials are safe against hacking. 
• 921 password attacks occur every second, which is almost twice as often as it was a year ago.

Let's not be there every day when someone's secret ends up in these records.
The following are some crucial links for you to look at:

• https://ntlm.pw/
• Have I Been Pwned: Check if your email has been compromised in a data breach
• GhostProject - Data Breach Search Engine
• BreachDirectory - Check If Your Email or Username was Compromised
• ScatteredSecrets.com - Find Your Hacked Passwords
• DeHashed — #FreeThePassword
• Protect your online accounts using Password Monitor - Microsoft Support

Although it may appear mysterious or ironic, many of us may use the same password across several accounts, which might result in password spraying. What can we do about this today, then?

• Observe the day, alter your passwords frequently, and do so if you feel suspicious. 
• Encourage your friends, family, and coworkers. 
• Use hidden vaults or secure credential managers, and create one-of-a-kind passwords. 
• Make a virtual barrier that separates official and personal accounts. 
• Construct or put into place robust, reliable authentication systems. 
• Steer clear of sticky notes. 
• Sharing does not imply caring when it comes to passwords!

When Intel first commemorated #WorldPasswordDay on this day in 2013, following the lead of security researcher Mark Burnett, the hashtag saw a major increase in visibility. Oh no! Where are we when the entire world is going passwordless?

#password #secure #privacy #protect