Passwords: Your first line of defense
Bowling Green, Ky. (October 14, 2025) - Cyberattacks are increasing rapidly, affecting organizations of all sizes — from global corporations to small businesses. That’s why, here at Connected Nation, we take cybersecurity very seriously. Our growing dependence on technology creates more opportunities for criminals to exploit weak security measures. A common entry point is a password that is easy to guess or reused across accounts. Improving this fundamental line of defense is one of the most effective ways to safeguard yourself and your organization.
Major data breaches underscore the impact of poor password habits. For example, the SolarWinds hack in 2020 was partly due to a weak password. Other notable victims, such as Anthem and Ticketmaster, along with countless others, have suffered breaches over the years due to stolen or weak credentials. These cases serve as a stark reminder: a single weak password can jeopardize thousands of users, millions of records, or an entire business.
Sadly, many people still believe that strong passwords are only necessary for system administrators or those with access to sensitive information. This is a misconception. Hackers often start with small targets, such as individual user accounts, to gain initial access. From there, they move laterally through systems until reaching valuable data. Therefore, everyone — employees, students, and individuals alike — must use strong, unique passwords.
Why password strength matters
The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) now recommends that passwords should be at least 14 to 16 characters long. Each extra character significantly increases the difficulty of cracking the password. For instance, adding just one character to a password can increase the time required to crack it from days to years.
Instead of using short strings of random characters, experts suggest creating passphrases — combining sequences of unrelated words. For example, “bluehorsesfiveAugustfootball” is much stronger than a well-known quote like “Houstonwehaveaproblem!" even if both are lengthy. A secure password should be long, complex, and unique for each account.
It is also crucial to avoid reusing passwords. When a data breach releases one password, cybercriminals quickly sell it on the dark web. They then try to reuse the same password across other sites through “credential stuffing.” Reusing passwords means one breach could give hackers access to your email, bank accounts, social media, and work systems.
The case for password managers
While creating strong, unique passwords is critical, remembering them all can be overwhelming. That’s where password managers come in. These tools securely store and autofill your login credentials, allowing you maintain a unique password for every account without the challenge of memorization. With a single master password, you can manage hundreds of accounts while keeping each one safe with long, random, and unique credentials.
Password managers also help generate strong passwords automatically and track which ones need updates. For organizations, encouraging employees to use password managers decreases the risk of weak or repeated passwords across vital systems.
A strong foundation for cybersecurity
Cybersecurity experts universally agree that using a strong, unique password is among the quickest, simplest, and most affordable ways to enhance security. When combined with password managers and multi-factor authentication (MFA), these measures create a layered defense, greatly reducing criminals' chances of success.
Protecting your digital life starts with the basics. Strong passwords are not just a technical detail. They are your first line of defense against cybercrime.
About the Author: Michael Ramage is the Connected Nation Strategic Broadband Advisor. Michael provides consultative services in support of CN’s federal BEAD and DEA grant related activities and deliverables. These include but are not limited to state and community action plan development, policy interpretation and/or creation, grants administration, community engagement as well as digital equity and inclusion (DEI) programming.