What Should a Password Policy Include?

Young woman using computer and coding.

A password policy is a crucial step for SMBs that want to protect themselves from cybercrime. On average, 70% of employees reuse work passwords and 81% of hacks can be traced back to weak or stolen passwords. Enforcing a password policy in your office can drastically improve cybersecurity.

In this blog post, we will discuss what should be included in your policy and why you should partner with Fresh Managed IT to make your password policy.

What Is A Professional Password Policy?

A password policy is a set of rules designed to ensure that users choose strong passwords and keep them secure. The purpose of this is to protect data by making it harder for hackers to guess or brute force their way into accounts.

Additionally, this can help businesses comply with data privacy laws, such as the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). Industry-specific compliance laws set a standard for businesses in specific industries to ensure that their client data is sufficiently protected from cybercriminals.

Why Do SMBs Need A Password Policy?

SMBs are often the target of cyberattacks because they generally have fewer resources available to them when it comes to implementing security measures. This means that hackers see SMBs as an easy target.

A password policy is an effective and proven way for SMBs to protect their business data from hackers and other cybercrime. By implementing this, small businesses take the first step in protecting their data. When used correctly, an effective password policy prevents unauthorized access into private accounts and keeps your sensitive business data secure. 

What Does A Typical Password Policy Look Like?

Most password policies include the following:

– A required minimum password length of eight characters

– A mix of upper and lowercase letters, numbers, and special characters

– A password history that prevents users from reusing the same password

Another way to implement this is to use a password manager such as Bitwarden or LastPass. These managers generate strong passwords and store them securely. They can also help you generate complex passwords, secure your accounts through multi-factor authentication, and organize your login and account information.

Partner With Fresh Managed IT 

At Fresh Managed IT, we understand the importance of password security. That’s why we help businesses create and implement a password policy that meets their specific needs.

Although password security is important, it’s just one aspect of cybersecurity. In order to comprehensively protect your valuable business data, you’ll need more than just a strong password. That’s why we also offer a variety of other IT services that can help businesses protect themselves from cybercrime, including managed firewall and intrusion detection services, employee cybersecurity training, data backup and recovery services, and secure storage solutions.

Contact us today and protect your business from cybercrime of all kinds.