As 2022 draws to a close, this month’s newsletter focuses on dark web monitoring via Trillion and password security. (You’ll need to be a Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy fan to understand the relevance of this month’s title!)
Dark web monitoring
You have probably heard of the dark web (that bit of the internet only accessible via special software, allowing for anonymous or untraceable activity) but you might not realise that it’s where stolen credentials and data are traded by criminals. Protecting yourself against the hackers in the first place is wise but you don’t always have control over your own data given how widely it is held (legitimately) by other organisations. So, what can you do? Utilising a monitoring service such as Trillion can help alert you if your data or passwords have been stolen and made available on the dark web. If you would like to perform a quick check, then this is a great free resource – https://haveibeenpwned.com/
Cracking passwords
We know we spend a lot of time on the topic of password security in our newsletters but it is with good reason. Nordpass has recently released the results of its 2022 password survey and it makes for alarming reading – “password” and “123456” make for its top two entries. What’s even more alarming is the time taken to crack these passwords – have a look at the results here. Implementing a password manager allows you to both simplify your password management and strengthen your defences against the hackers in one fell swoop. A password manager is also a convenient way to manage all those Multi Factor Authentication codes.