If you’ve ever created an account for anything online, you’ve been asked to create a strong password.
While you want your accounts to be secure, creating strong passwords is a hassle, especially when companies don’t always agree on what those passwords should look like.
Different websites have different requirements for how many characters you must include and what characters are allowed.
These differing rules make an already challenging task next to impossible, so why spend the time and effort setting up secure passwords for each of your accounts?
Strong passwords are the first line of defense.
Creating strong passwords for your online accounts is the first, and often the easiest, way to protect your data from cybercriminals.
You may think that your church doesn’t have the kind of information hackers are looking to steal. However, according to a 2020 study, over 40% of all cyberattacks targeted ministries and non-profits.
While there are other ways to access your accounts and data besides cracking your passwords, unless you set strong, unique passwords for your online profiles, you unintentionally make your ministry a target.
The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency compares using weak passwords to locking the door to your home but leaving the key in the lock. Setting a weak password makes you feel like you’ve taken steps to protect your data while making it easy to access for those who seek to do harm.
What is a strong password?
There is no single definition for a strong password, which complicates the different requirements for each website.
Experts agree that following these guidelines will provide the most security for your data.
- Make every password unique. Don’t use the same password for multiple accounts, or use a pattern allowing others to guess your passwords if they crack one.
- Aim for a minimum of 12 characters. Longer is better, so use 14 to 16 characters when possible.
- Use a combination of uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and special characters.
- Avoid repeating characters (e.g., 0000) or patterns (e.g., 1234). Don’t include easily guessable words (e.g., MyPassword) or personal information like birthdays and family names.
- Make each password a completely random series of characters (e.g., AN04bp$mGn83).
- Create a passphrase of 4 to 7 unrelated words that will be easy for you to remember but impossible for someone else to guess (e.g., BookDuckFrameGlobeHorseGrayRun).
- Put spaces between characters when possible.
There are several things you can do to protect your data in addition to having strong passwords in place.
- Don’t share your passwords with anyone, and avoid storing passwords in a document or email draft that could be hacked.
- If you need to write down your passwords, don’t leave them in an easily accessible location. Consider writing down a hint for your password rather than the password itself (e.g., if your password is G1rlsTr1pT0L0nd0n, your hint could be “favorite vacation.”)
- Change passwords immediately if you suspect an account has been compromised.
- Use a password manager to track all of your passwords.
- Always log into your accounts using trusted websites, and don’t click on the links in emails asking you to log in.
- Turn on two-factor or multi-factor authentication to add extra security to your accounts.
A password manager makes it easy.
A password manager is exactly what it sounds like: a system that stores and manages all of the passwords you create.
This may seem contradictory since we just discussed not sharing passwords, but a password manager works differently.
Password managers store your login information in an encrypted vault that is only accessible with a single master password. This encryption means that unless the correct master key is entered, the passwords you have stored in the manager won’t be readable even if they are hacked by an outside source.
The guidelines above are great for helping you create strong passwords to protect your ministry’s data, but they don’t make it easy for you to remember them to access that data yourself.
By using a password manager, you can reduce the number of passwords you need to remember to one.
Password managers often have features besides simply storing login information that can save time or make creating secure passwords easier.
Because your information is stored within the password manager, you can auto-populate your username and password when you’re ready to access a website, meaning you don’t have to log into the manager to log into an account.
Many password managers allow you to create your own strong passwords or give you the option to have them generate a strong password for you. This takes the guesswork out of setting secure passwords if you aren’t confident creating your own.
Numerous reputable password managers are on the market. Some offer limited functionality for free, with full functionality available for a fee, while others require payment for any of their management options.
But whether you choose a free or paid option, a password manager is worth the investment to protect your church’s data.
Strong passwords are the key.
When you work in ministry, you are responsible for protecting your congregation from those who seek to cause harm. You’ve been instructed to be a good steward of your resources and to use the gifts God has given you wisely.
Creating and managing strong passwords may seem like an unnecessary burden when you have so many other things on your plate.
But when the alternative is allowing cybercriminals to access your church’s financial records or your congregants’ personal and banking information, taking the time to protect your accounts will prove worth it.
Just like the analogy we used earlier, strong passwords are the key to protecting your digital information and keeping your congregation safe. You’d never leave the key in the lock for anyone to access your home, so put strong passwords in place to protect God’s house.
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