Strong Passwords Key to Network Security

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Published on October 26 2022 8:52 am
Last Updated on October 26 2022 8:52 am

Your employees may present the biggest risk in network security, reports Aaron Reason, senior director of Network Security for Consolidated Communications (NASDAQ: CNSL) a leading broadband and business communications provider. October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month, and in addition to serving business customers with broadband and security services, Consolidated is aiming to educate businesses and individuals on safe online practices at Consolidated.com/staysafeonline.

“Between phishing, vishing and bad password practices, bad actors are gunning for your business,” Reason, shared recently on LinkedIn. “Of course, you need to have strong partners in network security, and ensure your firewalls are ready for the next attack, but you also need to actively educate and train your employees.”

Passwords continue to be the top cause of cyber breaches, and for good reason. Faulty memories lead  the majority of people to reuse passwords across platforms, and three in four people say they aren’t sure how to create a secure password at all. This creates an ideal scenario for hackers, and once they are in, new forms of attack are making them harder to detect than ever before. 

In the business world, proactive network management and a strong firewall are crucial, as are zero-trust network security policies. While artificial intelligence can be a useful tool in a company’s defense, Reason explains “there’s no substitute for knowing your network security environment and working with a trusted partner.” As for employee education, Reason recommends ongoing education to ensure every employee:

  • Knows how to recognize and report phishing – still one of the primary threat actions used by cybercriminals today;
  • Understands the benefits of using a password manager;
  • Enables multi-factor authentication on personal devices and business networks, wherever available; and
  • Installs updates on a regular basis and turns on automated updates.

For organizations looking for additional help educating their employees, the National Cybersecurity Alliance offers a range of resources at https://staysafeonline.org.

Businesses of any size can visit Consolidated.com to learn more about keeping their company, employees and customers safer online. Individuals looking for tips to stay safe online can visit Consolidated.com/staysafeonline.