Bluetek IT Solutions Blog

Nobody likes passwords. They’re inconvenient. They’re a prime target for attacks. Yet for years they’ve been the most important layer of security for everything in our digital lives—from email to bank accounts, shopping carts to video games.

We are expected to create complex and unique passwords, remember them, and change them frequently, but nobody likes doing that either. In a recent Microsoft Twitter poll, one in five people reported they would rather accidentally “reply all”—which can be monumentally embarrassing—than reset a password.

But what alternative do we have?

For the past couple of years, we’ve been saying that the future is passwordless, and today I am excited to announce the next step in that vision. In March 2021, we announced that passwordless sign in was generally available for commercial users, bringing the feature to enterprise organizations around the world.

Beginning today, you can now completely remove the password from your Microsoft account. Use the Microsoft Authenticator app, Windows Hello, a security key, or a verification code sent to your phone or email to sign in to your favorite apps and services, such as Microsoft Outlook, Microsoft OneDrive, Microsoft Family Safety, and more.

Do you underestimate security threats?

Today, the world is flooded with cybersecurity news. Whether it’s a headline splashed across the media about your favorite retailer being hit by hackers or your local council falling victim to ransomware, there is no escaping the “cybercrime pandemic.”

Even despite this recent surge in cyberattacks, there are still a worrying number of organizations that don’t see themselves as a target. These organizations have a false sense of security that they are of no value or interest to cybercriminals — they are too small, too unknown or even too secure to be hit.

However, this misconception just makes them easier to hit. Overconfidence in security or not seeing yourself as a target leads to companies letting their guard down, which in turn creates opportunities for hackers. So, what are other most common security misconceptions we hear about from organizations, how do they put them in danger and, most importantly, how can they be resolved?

1. We are not a target for cybercriminals.

First and foremost, everyone is a target for cybercriminals. It doesn’t matter how big or small you are or how much or how little data you hold; cybercriminals will still see you as a target. This is an issue we hear about a lot when approaching new customers. However, once we have carried out an open-source background check, they are often surprised by the results.

We find fake social media accounts where CEOs and brands are being impersonated, often sending out malicious links in their posts. We also find a lot of other content online that shows the company has already been hit by attackers.