Are Passwords Encrypted?
Passwords are one of the most important security features available today. Creating secure and unguessable passwords is becoming more complex, let alone remembering the many passwords we use daily. Many websites are programmed not to allow easily guessable passwords, but strong passwords aren’t enough to keep cyber thieves away from your information.
Password Protection vs. Password Encryption: What’s the Difference?
Password protection is the act of locking a file, document, account, or program by enabling a password such as the pin on your phone. Only those with the password can access the information. Although using a password is an effective way to keep confidential information secure, hackers can obtain passwords and hack the data to either steal it or put a ransom on it and hold it hostage from its owner. There are also many password recovery tools available that recover passwords on file types like PDFs. Due to the enhanced computer systems available, we need more than good passwords to protect our information.
Password encryption is set up in addition to a strong password using either symmetric or asymmetric encryption. Setting up password encryption simply means you are creating a strong password and encrypting the file’s contents. The person wanting to access the information would need to know the password and also have a key to unlock the encrypted file. The beauty of this method is that even if someone guesses the password, no one without a cryptographic key would be able to access the data.
Should We Encrypt All Data?
Although encrypting data is the best way to keep the information private, it really depends on the type of information you want to protect. Using a strong password is generally enough to keep your kids from accessing programs and files on your computer you don’t want them to have access to, and creating a password with a good mix of letters, characters, and numbers is generally sufficient.
However, when dealing with sensitive or personally identifiable information, the more security features, the better, and encrypting that data will act as a safeguard against cyberthieves. The biggest flaw with both systems happens when a user forgets a password, making the information hidden from everyone – even the person sending it. The easiest way to avoid this problem is to ensure that there is secure password reset mechanism available, keep passwords in a safe place that isn’t digitally accessible or find an excellent password storage tool.
Are Password Encryption Tools a Good Idea?
Using software to help manage passwords is a personal decision, but there are many great choices out there for those who don’t know where to start with encryption. These sites will not only store your passwords but also include encryption tools. The architecture of these tools differ and some have been susceptible to a keys to the kingdom attack, where an attacker gained access to all users data. The ideal architecture leaves the service provider out of the mix and relies solely on the individual user’s main password that should only be known to that user. This is known as a zero-knowledge security model.
Here are a few of the top trusted programs:
- DASHLANE
- RoboForm
- NordPass
- KEEPER
- LastPass
The DataLocker team understands the complexities of cybersecurity, and we’re here to help you keep your information secure. To learn more about our products and services to help you with encrypted devices and software, reach out to our sales team at [email protected] or schedule a demo with us to show you how easy it is to manage security through our secure devices and software.