Cybersecurity Awareness Month: How to Make Strong Password Security Habits Stick

Cybersecurity Awareness Month is here, and it’s a timely reminder to strengthen your password security and authentication habits. Whether you’re an IT professional, a managed service provider (MSP) or simply someone who values data privacy, this is a good opportunity to review your practices and set higher standards.

With cyberthreats on the rise — 81% of organizations reported suffering a data or security breach in the last year, and phishing remains the weapon of choice for attackers, accounting for 57% of social engineering attacks — establishing smart password habits is more crucial than ever.

Password fatigue is real, but better habits make a difference

Let’s be honest: passwords management can feel overwhelming. Juggling dozens of logins often leads to poor practices like reusing passwords or choosing ones that are easy to remember (and easy to guess). Studies continue to show that weak and recycled passwords are still common — and that’s a big problem.

Cybercriminals exploit these weaknesses with bots, brute force attacks, credential stuffing, and phishing scams. Sloppy password hygiene can result in business email compromise, account takeovers, ransomware incidents, and other damaging cyberattacks. Once a password is breached, multiple accounts and sensitive information can be exposed.

Essential best practices for stronger passwords

Here’s how you can take control and keep your passwords working for you, not against you:

• Create unique passwords for every account. If one password is stolen, it won’t grant access to your other accounts.
• Make passwords long and complex. Aim for at least 14 characters, including a mix of letters, numbers and symbols. Avoid common words, phrases or anything personal like birthdays and pet names.
• Use password managers. These tools help you generate and safely store strong passwords, making it easier to use unique credentials everywhere and quickly update passwords if you get compromised. Consider an offline password manager for added security and peace of mind.
• Monitor your credentials for breaches. Use services that notify you if your passwords appear in leaked data, and update credentials right away if a breach is detected.
• Never share your passwords. Sharing credentials, even for convenience, puts your accounts at risk. Always keep your passwords private.
• Review your passwords regularly. Make it a habit to check and update credentials every few months, especially for important accounts.

Encourage your colleagues and users to make these password security routines second nature — integrating them into daily workflows helps build lasting habits.

Make password security a lasting habit

Building a culture of cybersecurity begins with consistent, smart behaviors. Regularly review your access controls, encourage others to use stronger passwords, educate them about threats like phishing and session hijacking, and spread the word about best practices. Have an incident response plan in place so you’re ready to act quickly if something goes wrong — timely action can minimize the impact of a breach.

Remember, password security is not a one-time task — it’s an ongoing commitment. Take steps today to safeguard your accounts and help others do the same.

Stay tuned: Next week, we’ll explore why keeping software updated matters more than ever — especially as Windows 10 officially reaches end of life.