Identity Theft Protection Begins with Password Management

Password management is a critical component to securing your online data and privacy. Personal identification comes in many forms, from general behavioral information to sensitive data-based information. Your identity is valuable to many entities, which is why it's a favorite target for hackers.

That’s why identity management is vital to staying safe in the modern world.

What is identity?

Identity is the behavior, devices, and attributes unique to you both at and outside the workplace. Your business identity extends from app usage to site access to stored passwords. It includes employee information and behavior, including site logins completed on work devices and email correspondence.

What is your digital Identity?

• Website and app passwords
• Credit card information
• Financial information
• Social Security numbers
• Password and travel related ID
• Driver’s license information
• System login information
• Tax information
• Subscription services
• …and more

Each of these has a price tag on the dark web and can wreak havoc on your personal and professional life if stolen or if the systems that store them are the victim of a data breach.

Did you know…

• A hacker can get
• $1 for every social security number
• $110 for every credit or debit card
• $1,000 for healthcare records
• $2,000 for a passport number

Identity management = identity theft protection

Since your identity is a crucial component to managing your activities online, it’s essential to maintain convenient and efficient use of your information while protecting yourself and your most valuable information from identity theft and hackers.

Identity is complex. Identity management doesn’t have to be. Therefore, identity management is a critical component in identity theft protection for yourself, your business, your employees, and your family.

Identity management begins with passwords

• 85% of cyber security breaches are due to poor passwords.
• 53% of people don’t change a password after a known breach.
• 76% of employees experience regular password problems.
• 43% of all cyberattacks target small businesses.

Businesses, websites, apps, and our email providers continue to remind us to choose strong, unique passwords – and to not reuse them. Many even require us to change them regularly and not reuse them across platforms or services.

But we do.

Improving Password Habits

Research and surveys keep reminding us that, despite the warnings, most people have a series of standard passwords they cycle through, sometimes adding a character here or there. And because of that, it is often more hackable, based on the additional digital information we have available. Once one password is known, and due to the prevalence of password reuse, more of our identity and data becomes hackable.

Sure, we use one for certain things, like financial information for banking or credit card access. We might even use a variation across those and add a two-factor authentication (2FA) method. Still, once hackers have access to memorable, decipherable passwords, they also have access to the devices we use for 2FA.

For ourselves, our workplace, and our families. Digital identities are a part of our lives, and they no longer just affect our access and convenience.

Identity management basics

• Don’t store your passwords on individual sites.
• Don’t store your passwords and financial information in digital wallets across sites and apps.
• Use stronger, unique, non-memorable passwords.
• Don’t use a spreadsheet or note pad to store your passwords in one place.
• Use identity management solutions.

Identity Management Solutions

You’re unlikely to ever log in to a site or service with a unique, strong password that has been generated and isn’t stored. That’s why most sites “offer” to save your user ID and password for you.

But what if THEY get hacked? Companies are the primary targets over individuals, but hackers often target individuals to gain access to the companies. One breach can put everyone at risk. So, it’s best not to get into the habit of storing your passwords on the proprietary websites that use them.

The best option is to use a service dedicated to identity management and identity theft protection. LastPass is that solution.

Whether it is for you, your family, or your business, LastPass offers identity management solutions, even free ones, in order to:

• Protect your passwords and digital identity, including sensitive data and secure notes.
• Improve your online convenience and experience.
• Increase your level of security and identity theft protection.

LastPass Password Manager

A password manager includes a personal Password Vault. You can store all your passwords, manage, and create new ones that are impressively strong and unique, and you’ll never have to remember them again! They are stored, along with other personal information, including digital wallet information, that allows you to auto-complete forms and share login access without compromising or sharing your actual login information. You can create special notes for different entries that further secure your identity and the information associated with each one by using the Secure Notes feature.

It integrates with browsers, offers a home page to access all your login links, and works across platforms and devices, making your connected experience as seamless as you’d like.

LastPass offers individual, family, premium, and business solutions designed with you in mind, ready to meet your specific needs and budget.