Passwords Every Business Owner Needs To Know

You want to get a second opinion on your marketing or website.

You need to grant access for the audit or review, but you can't.

Why? You don't have access to your digital assets. 

That's right, your digital assets.

Just like a balance sheet you need to be in control of your assets.

Don't let this happen to you!

Businesses now have access to tons of digital services, and most don't centrally manage logins or access for the owner, which could turn into a crisis with employee turnover.

You have a lot of responsibility as a  business owner. You need to make strategic changes quickly. This is why it is critical to have access to all your digital assets.

Here is a list of the critical passwords every business owner needs to know.

• Email

• Website

• Website Domain

• Website Analytics

• Social Media

• Business Listing Services

• Computer

Pro Tip: You need to have administrative access to all accounts associated with your business.

The Password To Your Email Account - Your email account is where you communicate with your customers, so it's essential to keep it secure. Choose a strong password that combines letters, numbers, and symbols. Changing your password every few months is beneficial to reduce the risk of cracking.

The Password To Your Website - If you have a website for your business, choose a strong password. If you are ready for a new design or unsatisfied with your current web developer you need to have access to your website.  We have seen it happen too many times where a business owner literally fights for months to gain control of digital assets. You paid for your website and it is a digital asset that you own.

The Password to Your Website Domain - this is the service you used to purchase your website name.   GoDaddy is a common service used for this purpose. This password is important to your business when you decide to change web hosting services. For example changing from WordPress to HubSpot for your website.

The Password to Your Website Analytics - As a business owner you may not want to get involved in the day to day data analysis of your website, but when you decide to hire a data expert either internally or externally you will need this password.

The Password To Your Social Media Accounts - If you use social media to promote your business, you must ensure your social media accounts are secure. Hackers could gain control of your accounts and use them to spam followers or post offensive content. They could also distribute malware or phishing scams. So choose strong passwords and change them frequently.

The Password to Your Business Listing Services - There are numerous platforms that can be used to list your business.  These would include Google Business Profile( formerly Google My Business), Yelp, NextDoor, Bing Places for Business, Hotfrog and Thomas Registry to name a few. You need access to these platforms so you can make changes when your business information changes.

The Password To Your Computer - Hackers who gain access to your computer could wreak havoc on your business. They could delete important files, install malicious software, or even hold your computer hostage until you pay them a ransom. That's why the best practice is to maintain a strong password for your computer that includes a combination of letters, numbers, and symbols—and that you change regularly.

Now that you know which passwords are crucial, it's worth learning how advanced password management can secure your business and save you from being locked out of essential accounts.

Centralize Your Password Management - As a business owner, you must keep your various accounts secure with strong passwords—including the Password to your computer! Not only will this help protect sensitive information stored on those accounts from being accessed by hackers, but it will also help protect your business reputation! So be sure to use a combination of letters, numbers, and symbols for all of your passwords and change them frequently!

Fortunately, modern browsers store your username and password, so even 32-character random ones are not an issue. It's worth using long random strings, so they're nearly impossible for password crackers to guess.

Password Management Software To The Rescue - Using a password manager is an excellent solution for small business teams. The software provides users with a lot of extra functionality involving password creation and maintenance. The most helpful feature is the creation of an administrator user (the owner or manager, naturally) who sets access for everyone else.

That way, people who don't require special rights operate at the safest possible access levels.

Remember the Pro Tip: You need to have administrative access to all accounts associated with your business.

Last but definitely not least we strongly recommend Multi Factor Authentication.

• Multi Factor Authentication (MFA) is an additional security measure that requires more than one method of identification before granting access to sensitive information. MFA adds another layer of protection against unauthorized access to data.
  Features:
  • Two-factor authentication is required to login to the website
  • Login credentials are sent via SMS text message
  Benefits:
  • Provides extra security when logging into your account
  • Ensures that only authorized users gain access to your account
  • Prevents unauthorized access to your account
  · Reduces support costs
  · Helps prevent fraud

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This article is intended to be a guide for business owners. 

If you do have specific questions please feel free to contact us.