Strong passwords for a small team
- Use long passphrases, a different one for every account, and keep them in a password manager.
- Never keep passwords in a shared spreadsheet or on a sticky note.
Steps
- Pick a business password manager. Choose one made for teams, so you can share logins without showing the password and can remove access when someone leaves.
- Move the important logins first. Email, banking, payroll, the domain name account and your website. Do those before the rest.
- Make each password long and different. Let the manager create them. For the few you must type, use four or five random words.
- Turn on MFA for the manager and the big accounts. A second sign-in step keeps a stolen password from being enough.
- Delete the old sheet. Once everything is moved, delete the spreadsheet and any note files.
Why length beats tricks
A long phrase of random words is hard to guess and easy to remember. Swapping an a for an @ does not help much. Reusing a password does a lot of harm: when one site is breached, crooks try that same password everywhere else.
Shared accounts
Give each person their own login where you can. Where a shared login is unavoidable, such as a social media page, keep it in the manager and share it from there.
When to call a pro
- Only one person knows the key passwords. Write them down in a safe place now.
- You think a password was stolen.
- You want the manager rolled out for the whole team, with a simple one page guide.
Need IT support for your business?
Call Ava, or book a free check. We look at your setup and tell you what we would fix first, in plain words, whether or not you hire us.
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Common questions
Is a password manager safe?
A good one, with a strong master password and MFA, is safer than reusing passwords or keeping a sheet.
How long should a password be?
Long is best. A phrase of four or five random words is a good start.
Should we change passwords every month?
Not for no reason. Change them when you think they were exposed, or when someone who knew them leaves.
Keep reading
- How to set up MFA for your team
- What to do with IT when an employee leaves
- How to spot a phishing email
Where we help
Minority- and Black-owned businesses are welcome here, and so is every other small business.
Book a free 30-minute review
Tell us what is not working. We will look at your setup and tell you what we would change, whether or not you hire us.
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