The Lowdown on Good Passwords and How They Work

Best Practices, Cyber Security, Ophtek, Password Security, Security, , ,
25
Jun 2019

We all use passwords on a daily basis, but do we know how they work? And how do you go about creating the best and most secure passwords?

Every day, in our home and business lives, we use an assortment of passwords to gain access to systems that are important to us. Entering passwords is such a regular occurrence that it soon becomes automatic. This regularity means that we pay little attention to the process. But we should. Passwords, after all, are what protect our data. And, in an age of huge data breaches, it needs protecting.

This protection can be enhanced with good passwords. For a good password to provide security, however, you need to understand how a password works.

What is a Password?

Passwords have been used since the dawn of time to gain access to secure areas. In ancient times, a visitor to a king’s palace would have gained access in exchange for a password. Fast forward several hundred years and very little has changed. Accessing a king’s palace may not be a major requirement in your life, but passwords are crucial in the digital age. Using a series of numbers, letters and symbols, a password helps you to gain access to computer networks, databases and social media.

How Does a Password Work?

It’s easy to enter passwords all day long, but understanding the process is another matter. What is it that allows a series of characters to grant you access to shielded content? Let’s take a look.

When you set up a password it’s not stored in the same form as it’s typed. Instead it’s stored as a hash. Using advanced cryptography, a hash takes your password and converts it into a number. These hashes tend to be 128 or 256 digits long depending on the encryption method. Either way they’re more complex than a 10-character password. These hashes are then stored in a file as a reference guide to verify the password entered. If the password matches the corresponding hash then access is approved. Otherwise, access is denied.

What Makes a Good Password?

Now you know how a password works you need to make sure you have a good password. The stronger your password is the less chance there is of a hack taking place. To strengthen your passwords make sure you:

  • Keep it Long: A longer password adds complexity. Hackers tend to target passwords through brute force attacks, so a longer password is more time consuming. Aim for around 15 characters as this isn’t too difficult to remember, but it also provides complexity.
  • Avoid Obvious Passwords: Many IT users go for simple passwords such as PASSWORD. And when that expires they add a number on the end. While these passwords are very easy to remember they’re as easy to guess. These types of passwords will be the first ones that hackers try. More often than not they’ll pay off. And that’s why you need to create a unique password.
  • Don’t Use Personal Information: Another common mistake with passwords is to use personal information such as your name or date of birth. This may feel unique, but it’s information that is researchable. Hackers are cunning and it won’t take them more than a few minutes to get this data. So, make sure that nothing contained within your password can be connected to yourself.

For more ways to secure and optimize your business technology, contact your local IT professionals.

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What are the Basics of PC Exploits?

Best Practices, Company Updates, Cyber Security, Disaster Recovery, Ophtek, PC Security, software exploits, , , ,
02
Apr 2019

 

At the center of all unauthorized access to your computers or servers is a PC exploit. What are these exploits, though, and how do you protect against them?

Without the presence of an exploit, hackers find themselves in a position where gaining access to a victim’s PC is incredibly difficult. However, it suddenly becomes a lot easier if there’s an exploit available that they can take advantage of. It’s probably becoming clear, very quickly, that it’s crucial that you, as a PC user, also know about the existence of these exploits. Unfortunately, the level of knowledge that the average organization has regarding the nature of exploits is disturbingly low. And that’s why so many businesses fall victim to PC exploits.

If, however, your organization can begin to understand even the basics of PC exploits, then you stand to make your IT operations considerably more secure.

What is an Exploit?

The simplest way of looking at an exploit is by describing it as a hole in a security gate. Once hackers become aware of this hole then they can easily bypass your security by climbing through the hole impeded. If we’re talking slightly more technically, then this hole isn’t necessarily a hole but some form of weakness in your PC. These weaknesses can be found in operating systems, software code and any applications installed on your network. And the impact that exploits can have on these components can be devastating.

What Does an Exploit Do?

An exploit can work in a number of different ways; most commonly, a PC exploit is used to infect huge numbers of PCs. It only takes one PC to be infected to help kick-start a process whereby this infection spreads across networks within an organization and, eventually, across the world. This allows hackers to execute the following tasks:

  • Malicious software can be downloaded to PCs without the user’s knowledge
  • Vast amounts of sensitive data can easily be recorded and transmitted to remote locations
  • Ransomware can be used to encrypt data and extort payment in return for the un-encrypted data

How Do You Protect Yourself Against Exploits?

Exploits, of course, are the result of vulnerabilities that are already present on your PCs. Therefore, exploits are down to failures by developers and manufacturers in the design and testing phases of their products. As a result, once an exploit has been identified, any decent developer should work on remedying this exploit by producing a security patch. This patch can be installed on any vulnerable PC to effectively seal the hole in your security gate and keep any hackers out.

Final Thoughts

Exploits can cause major disruption to your organization very quickly due to the ease of access that they gift to hackers. Protecting your organization from these exploits, therefore, is vital to keep your PCs online and productive. Time and knowledge are important commodities when it comes to protecting against exploits, so make sure you remain up to date with not just the latest software patches, but also any breaking news on emerging exploits.

For more ways to secure and optimize your business technology, contact your local IT professionals.

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How to Plan for Better Disaster Recovery in IT

Backup and Recovery, Best Practices, Cloud Backup, Disaster Recovery, IT Best Practices, , ,
28
Aug 2018

Due to our reliance on data technology, good disaster recovery processes have never been more vital. However, how do you plan for better disaster recovery?

It may be a challenge, but you don’t need to feel apprehensive when trying to tackle this complex problem. And when it comes to disaster recovery, planning is the most important factor. If your IT systems fail then you need to start your recovery process as soon as possible and ensure it’s as effective as it can be. The sooner you can restore normal operations, the less your productivity is affected.

So, if you want to make sure your disaster recovery procedures are finely tuned, make sure you incorporate the following tips. They could be the difference between no IT infrastructure and one that can keep your organization functioning.

Have a Plan

The first step towards having a better disaster recovery plan is to have a plan. Unfortunately, many organizations find themselves too busy to worry about potential disasters and, instead, concentrate purely on the present. While this may help you with your immediate business objectives, it’s not going to help you in the case of an emergency. Therefore, starting work on a disaster recovery plan needs to be sooner rather than later.

Cost isn’t Everything

It’s understandable that budgets are essential when it comes to good business, but disaster recovery plans for IT infrastructure are a little different. Without a fully functioning IT service, it’s unlikely your organization is going to be able to trade at its full potential, if at all. And this is why you need to be careful when looking at the technology and services required for your data recovery. Naturally, you shouldn’t spend an exorbitant amount of money that could cripple your margins, but you also need a data recovery plan which can recover your IT infrastructure quickly and effectively.

Understand Your Recovery Objectives

Key to a good recovery process is understanding what data is crucial and how soon it’s required in the case of a data outage/loss. Objectives, of course, need to be achievable, so don’t burden yourself with unattainable goals such as ‘every worker to have access to emails within 10 minutes of a data disaster’. The best way to test your objectives and measure how attainable they are is through regular testing. This should prepare you for any future scenarios and guarantee that you know how to manage their impact.

Update Your Recovery Plan

If you’re lucky, your organization will manage to operate for a long time without experiencing any data disasters. However, this can lead to a dangerous sense of inertia creeping into your recovery processes. And, as we all know, technology moves at a rapid pace. Software and hardware can be replaced on a yearly basis and these new developments may not chime harmoniously with your existing recovery plan. Accordingly, your disaster recovery plan needs to be regularly reviewed to ensure that it’s current and matches your existing IT landscape.

For more ways to secure and optimize your business technology, contact your local IT professionals.

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The Best Practices for Buying Small Business Computers

Best Practices, Best Processor, Maximum RAM, Operating System, Small Business Computers, , ,
24
Jul 2018

 

Small businesses need computers just as much as multi-global corporations do, but the way they go about choosing them is a little different.

In a small business, for example, consistency is more likely to be required across the board. In a larger business, however, there is bound to be more diversity required, especially in terms of the technology required for different departments. Therefore, choosing a computer for a small business needs to be approached in the correct manner to ensure you get the technology for your needs.

To help you get started, we’ve put together a quick list of the best practices for buying small business computers:

The Best Processor is Key

If you want your business to remain competitive then you need to make sure that your PCs have the best processors you can afford. After all, the driving force of your PC and what it can do comes straight from the processor. It may be tempting to drop 0.5Ghz from your processor to save costs, but this can cost you more in terms of productivity due to the drop in power.

Settle on One Operating System

For a small business, there’s no need to start working with multiple different operating systems such as Microsoft Windows, Apple Mac OS and Linux. Windows and Mac OS are fairly similar in terms of function, so investing in multiple licenses for these different systems can soon rack up your expenses. Instead, stick to either one or the other as this also minimizes internal training costs.

Get the Right System for Your Needs

A good business PC can remain in use for at least five years, so you are going to get a lot of use out of it. And that’s why you need to make sure it’s the right one for your needs. In-depth research needs to be carried out on your existing PCs to see what they can and can’t do. Once you understand their limitations and your needs, you can begin to search for models which solve these issues. This keeps your workforce happy and guarantees that you won’t have to buy a new range six months later when they don’t gel.

Don’t Cut Costs

Cheap computers are the last pieces of equipment that your organization wants. What you need are computers that pride themselves on their quality and lack of technical issues. Time is money and a cheap computer will end up costing you a lot of downtime. It may make your bank balance wince, but the productivity boost that a more expensive PC brings is more than worth it.

Fill All Available RAM Slots

When you’re buying a new PC, it’s important that you make sure all its RAM slots are filled to give you the fastest performance possible. Often, some of these slots are left empty to allow for future expansion. However, the best time to expand is at the point of purchase rather than a couple of years down the line. Speak to your dealer and ask them to ensure that you have the maximum amount of RAM affordable.

For more ways to secure and optimize your business technology, contact your local IT professionals.

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