We all know data security and data privacy are important. To help you keep your social media archived data safe and secure, here are some recommendations.
Brolly team
4 May 2022
We all know data security and data privacy are important. To help you keep your social media archived data safe and secure, here are some recommendations from NIST (US National Institute of Standards and Technology) and tips from the Australian Signals Directorate.
To help you keep your Brolly social media archive and your other important information safely protected from unauthorised access we have complied for you a number of recommendations from the latest US National Institute of Standards and Technology Password Guidelines (https://securityboulevard.com/2021/12/nist-password-guidelines-2021-challenging-traditional-password-management/) and password tips from Australian Signals Directorate (https://www.cyber.gov.au/).
Recommendation 1 – Remove periodic password change requirements
It was found that a security policy of making users frequently change their passwords actually makes security worse. With so many passwords to try to remember and change, users will resort to changing their passwords in predictable ways.
Recommendation 2 – Require length, but remove password complexity
Password length, not complexity, is what makes a password harder to hack. This is why NIST recommended a minimum password length of 8 characters but has removed the recommendation of password complexity as users generally add complexity by simple, predictable means (adding a “1” or “!” at the end) and then reuse this password from account to account.
Recommendation 3 – Implement screening of new passwords
New passwords should be checked against a list of commonly used, expected or compromised passwords such as dictionary words, repetitive strings, variations on the site or platform name or commonly used passphrases. This will make it harder for cybercriminals to guess the password.
In addition to the NIST recommendations, the Australian Signals Directorate and the Australian Cyber Security Centre provide a wealth of good information on cyber security. Brolly has distilled 4 tips to help you set strong passwords or catchphrases:
Tip 1 – create a catchphrase, rather than a password
This should be by combining at least 4 unrelated words to a catchphrase
Tip 2 – use a combination that is easy for you to remember
Don’t choose a catchphrase that is common (“The quick brown fox jumps…”) or easy for others to guess
Tip 3 – use a separate password for each account and device
Sharing your password across multiple accounts and devices means that if one is compromised, there is a significant risk the others could be as well
Tip 4 – enable Multi-factor Authentication (MFA) if it is available
MFA offers significantly better security against cyber attacks as more than one proof of identity is required to access your account.
Following the latest NIST Policy update (NIST Policy 800-63B updated on Mon, 02 May 2022), Brolly has implemented changes to our security features in line with the recommendations to help you keep the important information in your Brolly social media archive safe and secure These include:
Our new Multi-factor Authentication (MFA) feature is now available for your Brolly account. We are confident this improvement and the password requirement changes will ensure your Brolly account is protected against unwanted cyber-attacks and your data is safe and secure.
This article was written by the team at Brolly. We’re a creative bunch, and we love social media archiving. Like most of the things we do here, this article was crafted with care and attention to detail. If you spot an error, or want to know more, don’t be afraid to reach out and say hello. We’d love to hear from you.
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