Everyone forgets passwords from time to time. We have so many nowadays. And weโre asked to make them all unique, and complex โ which weโre sure you are doing!!
It can be frustrating, and everyone wants a quick easy solution.
However, if you do forget your password then itโs not simply a case of contacting support and asking for it.
Because we donโt store your passwords.
Why donโt you have my password?
Itโs a common question and the answer is pretty simple. Every person or organisation that has access to your password is a point of failure.
Think of it like this.
Your house has a front door, you have the key.
Youโre the only person who can access the house.
You give a spare key to a neighbour. You may believe this is good thinking. In fact, youโve just doubled the risk of your key being lost or stolen. Every time you give out another key, you increase your risk.
Every individual and company that has access to your password is a potential place from which your password could be compromised. If you want to keep your passwords safe MINIMISE the number of people who know them.
What Happens If I forget my passwordโฆ.
First of all donโt panic!
There will be an approver (or several) in your business. If you know who they are then you can ask them to request a password change for you. This can be done either by email or, ideally, through the ITSupportPortal. If you’re not sure of your approver and can email or access the portal yourself then do this. We’ll still need to get approval as we have to confirm it’s really you!
Call us if you’re really stuck. The easiest way for a hacker to get a password is by calling and pretending to be you. So we have to be extra careful if you use this method. The other methods are better and quicker, but this option is available if you need it. We appreciate if your locked out of your computer sending us an email might be a bit difficult!!
We will reset your password and send you a new password securely through our โTracelessโ email service.
This gives you a single use password to get you back into an account. Once you are ‘in’ you’ll be prompted to change the password. This means youโre the only one who knows it again.
The email we send will be accessible only once. It will come through an encrypted link and only be available for a limited amount of time. This password will meet our standards of complexity.
Very Important – We will not send one of these password reset emails without first speaking to you. If you get a notification like this and you have not requested a new password, or you are in anyway unsure or suspicious please do not click the link. CALL US FIRST. We would much rather get a call about a suspicious link than a full blown system compromise!!
Changing Your Password
When you change your password you need to keep in mind your companies password policy. This may call for you to use a password of a minimum length, to include numbers, or include characters. As you are the only one with access to your password you are responsible for understanding and applying your companies password policy.
If you donโt, and your account is compromised you face whatever disciplinary action the company has deemed within their password policy.. Many companies deem this โgross misconductโ and will dismiss people.
What Else We Do To Keep Your Passwords Safe
If you havenโt already got Multi-Factor Authentication (where you get a notification on another device to check itโs you) turned on then you can rest assured weโre talking to the company about it! Weโd also recommend you turn this on for your own personal accounts. It’s available on Facebook, LinkedIn, WhatsApp, Gmail and most other popular accounts.
If youโve got any further questions on passwords please do not hesitate to call us or drop us an email support@your-itdepartment.co.uk
