How to Ensure Password Security

1. Restrict Password Visibility

Our first rule is straightforward: only the user should ever see their password. Even system administrators should not have access to it. In situations where a user forgets their password, the support team should initiate a reset process rather than recovering the existing password. This approach minimises the risk of human error or misuse, ensuring that the user’s password remains confidential and the administrators are not placed in compromising situations.

2. Set Reasonable Password Requirements

One of the best security practices is for users to have a unique password for each account. However, this is often the most neglected rule. While we could mandate complex passwords to discourage reuse, overly stringent requirements can frustrate users. Instead, we focus on encouraging longer passwords, as a password that is 10 characters long is exponentially harder to crack than one with just six characters.

While we recommend a mix of letters and numbers and enforce a minimum length, we avoid making requirements overly complex. Our systems are designed to help users create strong passwords without being overly burdensome. For instance, we provide real-time feedback on password strength as users type, and we cross-check their chosen passwords against a database of common passwords and patterns, alerting them if their selection is potentially unsafe.

3. Avoid Sending Passwords via Email

If a hacker gains access to your email, one of the first things they might do is search for the word "password." They can find past emails containing passwords and use them to access various accounts. To combat this risk, Blueberry never sends passwords via email. Instead, we use secure methods such as sending a time-limited link to reset the password, which significantly reduces the chances of unauthorized access.

4. Use Strong Hashing and Salting Techniques

Even with robust security measures, there’s always the possibility of a data breach. To protect user passwords in such scenarios, Blueberry uses hashing and salting techniques. Hashing converts passwords into a secure, irreversible string of characters, making it impossible to retrieve the original password from the hashed version. However, because hackers often use precompiled lists of common hashed passwords, we add an additional layer of security by salting. Salting involves adding a unique random value to each password before hashing, making it significantly harder for hackers to crack the password even if they have access to the hashed data.

In the modern digital landscape, relying solely on passwords is not always sufficient, which is why new technologies have been developed to enhance password security. These include:

• Biometric Authentication which leverages unique physical characteristics, like fingerprints or facial recognition, to provide a secure and user-friendly alternative to traditional passwords. Since these traits are nearly impossible to replicate, they add an additional layer of security.
• Single Sign-On Solutions which simplify user access to multiple systems with one set of credentials, reducing password fatigue and the risk of password reuse. When combined with multi-factor authentication (MFA), SSO offers a robust security framework.
• End-to-End Encryption which ensures that passwords and other sensitive data are encrypted during transmission, preventing unauthorised access even if the data is intercepted. This is particularly vital for cloud-based systems and during data transfers.

As hackers become increasingly sophisticated, the importance of robust password security cannot be overstated. By adhering to strict hashing and salting techniques, and encouraging users to adopt strong passwords, Blueberry remains committed to protecting user data. Failing to follow these best practices not only puts individual systems at risk but can also have far-reaching consequences across the digital landscape.