6 Critical Steps when Dealing with Passwords

It is 2026, and while we were promised flying cars, we mostly got smarter toasters and AI that can write poetry. Unfortunately, malicious actors got an upgrade, too. With AI-driven brute-force attacks now able to crack simple passwords in seconds, this technology just doesn't cut it anymore.

Your security is always our priority, but we are only half of the equation. You need to know how to protect yourself. Here is a quick refresher on the best practices for password creation and management to keep your digital life locked down tight.

Password Length 

Forget trying to remember complex strings of digits. Modern security experts and NIST (the organization that sets the standards) now recommend passphrases.

Aim for at least 16 characters.

A 16-character password of simple words (for example: purple-crew-beefalo-piano) is exponentially harder for a computer to crack than an eight-character complex one, and much easier for you to remember.

Stop the Recycling Program

We love a good recycling program for plastics, but it is a disaster for passwords. If you use the same password for your banking, your email, and that random pizza delivery app you downloaded once, you are one data breach away from a total digital takeover. If one service is compromised, a unique password ensures the fire does not spread to your other accounts.

Let a Machine Do the Heavy Lifting

Nowadays, managing over a hundred unique, 16-character passwords manually is impossible. If you are not using a password manager, you are essentially leaving your keys under the mat.

MFA: SMS is Dated

Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) is no longer optional, it really is the baseline; and not all MFA is created equal.

• Avoid SMS - SIM-swapping attacks have made text-message codes unreliable.
• Use Authenticator Apps - Apps like Google Authenticator or Microsoft Authenticator generate codes locally on your phone, making them much harder to intercept.
• Go Pro with Hardware - For your most sensitive accounts (like your primary email), consider a hardware key. It is a physical key that must be plugged into your device to log in.

Embrace the Passkey

You might have noticed Passkeys popping up lately. These use your device biometrics or a local PIN to log you in without a password at all. They are phishing-resistant, meaning a hacker cannot trick you into giving them your login because there is no password to give. If a site offers a passkey, take it.

What To Do if You Are Breached?

If you get an alert that your data was leaked:

Do not panic.

Change that password immediately (and any others that were similar).

Check your MFA settings to ensure no new recovery methods were added by an intruder.

We can help you find resources to check your exposure or get you an enterprise-grade password manager.

For more great tips and tricks, visit our blog soon.