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SHARON NELSON AND JOHN SIMEK PROVIDE PASSWORD PROTECTION TIPS

May 20, 2014

In the May 9, 2014 edition of Attorney at Work, Ms. Nelson and Mr. Simek provide five password protection tips to reduce online security risks.

If you do receive notification that a password has been exposed, the first thing you should do is confirm that the notice is authentic and not some type of phishing tactic.  Once the notice has been confirmed, follow the instructions to reset the password.

The second tip is to always use a strong password.  It should be at least 14 characters with a mixture of upper and lower case letters with numbers and special characters.  Lawyers can use a password generator to create complex passwords.

There are apps or software to manage all those passwords.  Ms. Nelson prefers to use eWallet by iLium Software.  The data is held in an encrypted vault and does not go onto the cloud.

Two-factor authentication (which is something that you have, such as an ID badge, smartphone, watch or USB fob), with the combination of the password is the future of online security, according to John Simek.  Biometrics are a temporary solution, because if your digital fingerprint is compromised it is tough to get a new finger.

Some of the techniques that you should not use are to store all of your passwords on a device and label them “passwords”.  The second technique that should not be used is to tape the password to the bottom of the laptop.  John Simek has seen this used on multiple occasions.

To read the entire article and find more tips, click on Attorney at Work.