London, Nov 13: In response to the growing need for beefed-up cybersecurity, a bunch of nonprofits is shaking things up with “World More Than A Password Day.”
This isn’t your average awareness gig – it’s a shout-out for action.
With a whopping 80 per cent of data breaches pointing fingers at weak or stolen passwords, the movement is pushing for a switch to beefier authentication methods that don’t rely solely on passwords.
In a world where cyber threats are doing the cha-cha, leaning on plain old passwords isn’t cutting it. Believe it or not, almost half of companies (43 per cent, to be exact) are skipping the multi-factor authentication (MFA) party.
And on Twitter now known as X?
Only 2.6 per cent of accounts are vibing with MFA.
Small and Medium-sized Businesses (SMBs) in the U.S. are kinda aware (53 per cent), but almost half of them (49 per cent) are still playing catch-up, according to a Cyber Readiness Institute (CRI) survey.
Unwrapping Practical Password Tips
As a bonus with the grand debut of “World More Than A Password Day,” Nonprofit Cyber is rolling out “Protecting Your Accounts and Devices: Common Guidance on Passwords”.
No jargon, just straight-up advice for regular folks and small businesses to lock down their online security.
Philip Reitinger, the big cheese at the Global Cyber Alliance and co-chair of Nonprofit Cyber keeps it real: “Using stronger authentication is like putting on a superhero cape for your online life.
We’re not here to write another manual; we’re here to rally everyone to the same beat. Let’s take action to protect ourselves.”
Ninety global organizations, from cyber whizzes to regular Joes, are on board with the Common Guidance on Passwords.
They’re like the Avengers of online security, and they’re inviting more folks to join the squad.
Tips in Plain Speak
Bye-bye Passwords: Think passkeys, not passwords. They’re simpler and safer.
Lock Down Email: If you’re still rocking passwords for emails, make them strong, and throw in multi-factor authentication.
Double Up on Security: Get a hardware key, authenticator app, or PIN via text. Two’s better than one.
Password Buddy: Use a password manager to remember the strong ones for you.
Smart Password Picking: Go for passphrases or the “Three Random Words” trick for passwords that are easy to remember but hard to crack.
Post-Hack Quick Fix: Change those passwords pronto if your stuff gets hacked. And seriously, no repeats.
Get in on the Action
“World More Than A Password Day” isn’t just a mark-your-calendar event; it’s a global party.
Everyone, from your tech-savvy neighbour to your grandma’s knitting club, is invited to get in on the action.
Share the word, do a little dance, and let’s amp up online security together.
Tom Brennan, the cool cat at CREST-Americas Region and Co-Chair of the Nonprofit Cyber World More Than A Password Day steering committee says, “Going all-in on multi-factor authentication is like adding extra sprinkles to your cybersecurity cupcake. It’s an investment in levelling up our digital game – let’s do it together.”
Join #MoreThanAPasswordDay and let’s flip the script on online security for a safer, sassier digital world.
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