See the best way to come up with a new username. We break down types of usernames and give you the best username ideas out there.

See the best way to come up with a new username. We break down types of usernames, why ...

How to Make a Good Username | Create a Unique and Secure Username

See the best way to come up with a new username. We break down types of usernames, why secure usernames are important, and how to create them effectively!

<h2>What is a Master Password?</h2>
A master password is a single password that acts as a gateway to multiple accounts and platforms. The term "master password" is typically used in the context of password managers.
If you're using a password manager, then technically, you only need to remember one set of credentials - the&nbsp;master password - to log into your password manager.
For example, TeamPassword stores your credentials and then logs you into your accounts using one of our browser extensions (Chrome, Firefox, Safari)&mdash;similar to <a href="https://teampassword.com/blog/how-to-save-passwords-in-chrome-and-alternatives">saving passwords in Chrome</a> and other browsers.
Once you're logged into TeamPassword using your master password, the password manager does the rest. You never have to remember your credentials.

<h2>How to Create a Secure Master Password?</h2>
The simplest way to create a strong password is to use a&nbsp;<a href="https://teampassword.com/password-generator">password generator</a>. Use 16+ random upper and lowercase letters, numbers, and special characters, and never reuse the password elsewhere.
However, consider creating a passphrase if you need to remember the password. Use a sequence of words that creates a funny and memorable image, or use words related to the application it'll be used for.&nbsp;
Good passphrase:&nbsp;
<ul>
<li dir="ltr" role="presentation">frog-yellowish-stranger-Timestamp</li>
</ul>
Even though this lacks a variety of character types, it clocks in at 33 characters which makes it an incredibly high-entropy password. Plus, it does have dash symbols and one uppercase letter.&nbsp;
Bad passphrase:
<ul>
<li dir="ltr" role="presentation">the-windmills-of-your-mind</li>
</ul>
Stay away from song lyrics, famous quotes, and phrases that make sense.
If you'd like an in-depth explanation, check out our article dedicated to <a href="https://teampassword.com/blog/tips-and-tricks-to-create-a-strong-password" rel="follow noopener" target="_blank">How to Make a Strong Password</a>. &rlm;&rlm;&lrm; &lrm;

<h2>What is the Master Password Algorithm?</h2>
Maarten Billemont designed the Master Password algorithm in 2012 as an alternative for traditional password management tools. Instead of storing passwords, the Password Manager algorithm recreates users' credentials each time they log in.
The idea behind Master Password is that if you don't store credentials, then criminals can't steal your passwords if they hack your network or device.
For Master Password to be effective, you must turn off device and browser password-saving features, so your credentials are never stored anywhere.
It's important to note that Master Password is currently undergoing an overhaul and will be switching to a revised version (Spectre), which is currently in beta testing.
&rlm;&rlm;&lrm; &lrm;
<h2>How Does the Master Password Algorithm Work?</h2>
The Master Password algorithm works a little like a calculator. You enter a series of parameters (including your name, master password, and site/app you're logging into), and Master Password calculates your password.
The Master Password app also takes a counter, which starts at 1 by default. The counter allows you to change your password. Every time you change a password, the counter increments by 1.&nbsp;
For example, you create a password for Instagram; the initial counter is 1 when you reset your Instagram password, the counter changes to 2.
You copy/paste the password into the password field for the login form, and you're done! The process works the same for creating passwords and logging into accounts.
The only parameter you need to memorize to calculate a password is your master password. Everyone should know their name, and the account is easy to remember because it appears in the address bar or app header.
&rlm;&rlm;&lrm; &lrm;
<h2>Master Password Algorithm Example</h2>
Here is an example for creating or logging into a Facebook account for John Doe using the Master Password algorithm.
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Name: John Doe</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Master password: secret password phase</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Account: facebook.com</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Counter: 1</li>
</ul>
You enter these three parameters, and the Master Password app produces a password: tX0!tX7~qZ3!vO. Every time you enter those same parameters, Master Password will create the exact same password.
John Doe x secret password phrase x facebook.com x 1 = tX0!tX7~qZ3!vO
Rather than storing your password, Master Password calculates a result based on the parameters you enter. The master password always stays the same; only the name and account parameters change.
If you need to change your password, you increment the counter, and Master Password creates a new unique password.&nbsp;
Password change example for the same Facebook account:
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Name: John Doe</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Master password: secret password phase</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Account: facebook.com</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Counter: 2</li>
</ul>
John Doe x secret password phrase x facebook.com x 2 = hS7}oD3:pO8^uI
For future logins, you have to remember your counter is 2 and no longer 1. The counter is the Master Password's biggest flaw! It can be difficult for people who have many accounts to remember what counter you're on for each one.
For example, your Twitter account might be on 4, Facebook on 7, Instagram on 1, and LinkedIn on 3. Keeping track of your counters could get overwhelming and confusing.
A user asked this question on Master Password's community, and the answer was: "To recover a lost non-default counter, just increment the counter and try the password on the site until you succeed."
The problem with this solution is that most websites and applications block your account after a certain number of failed attempts to prevent brute force attacks.
&rlm;&rlm;&lrm; &lrm;
<h2>What Apps Apply the Master Password Algorithm?</h2>
Maarten Billemont has made the Master Password algorithm free under the GPLv3 license. Meaning, anyone can run, study, share and modify the code. So, there are possibly many individuals and businesses using the technology privately.
There are two commercially available Master Password algorithm apps:
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Master Password</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Spectre</li>
</ul>
&rlm;&rlm;&lrm; &lrm;
<h2>Pros and Cons of Master Password Algorithm &amp; Who is it For?</h2>
Pros of Master Password algorithm:
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">There is zero chance of criminals stealing account credentials from your device, including if your device is lost or stolen</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">You only need one master password</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">The code is free to use so that anyone can develop a Master Password app</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">You create unique passwords for every account</li>
</ul>
Cons of Master Password algorithm:
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">The Master Password only works for personal use. No way to <a href="https://teampassword.com/blog/how-to-safely-share-passwords-with-coworkers">share credentials with coworkers</a></li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Recalling passwords is slow&mdash;you have to open Master Password separately, enter the parameters, and then copy/paste the password.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Changing passwords means you have to change your counter. If you have lots of accounts (which most people do), you have to remember the counter for each one. If your accounts are all on a different counter, things can get very confusing. The only solution is to reset your password, resulting in another counter increment to remember!</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">If someone manages to steal your master password&mdash;through a spear-phishing attack, scam, or other means, they can download Master Password and calculate your passwords. </li>
</ul>
With these pros and cons in mind, using Master Password-based apps makes sense for personal use or companies that don't share the same credentials.
Even then, Master Password's counter flaw can create issues that could lead to time wasted figuring out which counter you're on or resetting passwords.
&rlm;&rlm;&lrm; &lrm;
<h2>TeamPassword: A Better Password Management Solution</h2>
<a href="https://app.teampassword.com/signup" rel="follow noopener" target="_blank">TeamPassword is a robust password management solution</a> for teams to share credentials securely. Passwords are hashed, salted, and encrypted locally on your computer and then transmitted via an encrypted connection to the TeamPassword server.
This password storage method means you can never preview passwords (prevents unauthorized sharing), and not even TeamPassword can retrieve your credentials.
TeamPassword is a secure hosting provider with multiple security accreditations and uses state-of-the-art encryption technology.
<h3>Secure and Easy Credential Sharing</h3>
Unlike Master Password, TeamPassword lets you share credentials with employees, freelancers, and clients.&nbsp;
Here's how easy it is to share passwords in TeamPassword:
<ol>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Create a TeamPassword account for your business&mdash;we offer a <a href="https://app.teampassword.com/signup" rel="follow noopener" target="_blank">14-day free trial</a> ;)</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Add your passwords to TeamPassword&mdash;we recommend resetting your passwords when moving to TeamPassword using our built-in <a href="https://teampassword.com/password-generator">secure password generator</a>.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Provide each team member with a TeamPassword login</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Create groups for your various accounts and add only the team members who need access&mdash;for example, a "Social Media Group" will have all your social media accounts, and only the social media or marketing team will have access</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Revoke access for any team member with a few clicks</li>
</ol>
If you need to change a password, simply use the built-in password generator, and TeamPassword automatically updates the new credentials for all users. No need to inform anyone or share the new password.
<h3>Features to Prevent Breaches</h3>
Each team member can protect their <a href="https://teampassword.com/blog/password-manager-with-2fa">TeamPassword account with two-factor authentication (2FA)</a>&mdash;we use Google Authenticator and Authy available on iOS and Android.
With 2FA, even if attackers steal a team member's TeamPassword credentials, they can't log in without the second authentication step.
In the unlikely event that someone does breach your TeamPassword account, attackers have no way to preview or export your company's stored credentials.
<h3>Keeping Track of TeamPassword Activity</h3>
Another feature Master Password lacks is activity tracking and email notifications&mdash;crucial for reacting fast to suspicious activity!
TeamPassword's activity log keeps track of every action, including logins, sharing, password resets, new team members, and more. You can also set up email notifications for TeamPassword actions for instant alerts.
&rlm;&rlm;&lrm; &lrm;
<h2>More Master Password Alternatives</h2>
At TeamPassword, we're confident that we have the most secure and user-friendly password manager, so we don't mind sharing some of our competitors.
<ul>
<li aria-level="1"><a href="https://teampassword.com/blog/1password-alternatives" rel="follow noopener" target="_blank">1Password</a> - An effective password management solution. Limited customer support.&nbsp;</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><a href="https://teampassword.com/blog/category/review" rel="follow noopener" target="_blank">LastPass</a> - If you're not tech-savvy, LastPass can be difficult to learn. Additionally, LastPass <a href="https://krebsonsecurity.com/2023/09/experts-fear-crooks-are-cracking-keys-stolen-in-lastpass-breach/" rel="follow noopener" target="_blank">suffered a series of concerning breaches</a>. Security experts do not recommend them.&nbsp;</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><a href="https://teampassword.com/blog/dashlane-alternatives" rel="follow noopener" target="_blank">DashLane</a> is one of the most popular password managers for personal and family use and one of the most expensive.&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
TeamPassword has no limits on the number of passwords or accounts you can store!
&rlm;&rlm;&lrm; &lrm;
<h2>Try TeamPassword for Free</h2>
The only master password you need is for your TeamPassword account!
Test our Groups and Sharing feature with your team members to experience the convenience of secure password sharing with TeamPassword. <a href="https://app.teampassword.com/dashboard#signup/testimonial">Sign up for a 14-day free trial today</a>!

What is a master password, and why do you need a password manager? How can you protect your credentials from cybercriminals? | TeamPassword

What is a master password, and why do you need a password manager? How can you protect your ...

What is a Master Password and Do I Need One?

What is a Master Password?

<div class="addthis_inline_share_toolbox"></div>
<div class="blog-content">
<h3 id="customer-s-vent-their-teampassword-frustrations">Customers vent their TeamPassword frustrations</h3>

Nobody&rsquo;s perfect. And nobody&rsquo;s achieved greatness without a healthy dose of constructive criticism. TeamPassword has evolved thanks to the feedback &mdash; good and bad &mdash; that we get from our users. Your earnest reviews help us to prioritize and develop product features, highlight areas that need improvement, and keep us committed to the task of building the best enterprise password manager in the game!
 Read on to see what&rsquo;s driving our customers crazy about TeamPassword &mdash; and what we&rsquo;re doing to fix it. But it&rsquo;s not all bad! We wouldn&rsquo;t still be here if our customers didn&rsquo;t love us &mdash;&nbsp;<a href="https://www.jungledisk.com/blog/2018/12/03/reasons-customers-choose-teampassword/">here&rsquo;s proof</a>!
<h3 id="room-for-improvement"> ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT</h3>
 We&rsquo;re currently working to address these issues and you&rsquo;ll find TeamPassword Founder, Brian Sierakowski&rsquo;s responses to these complaints below each point. Your consistent feedback ensures that we will continue to evolve and improve to meet the needs of our customers.
<blockquote>&ldquo;The only thing I don&rsquo;t like about it is that it doesn&rsquo;t have an android app. Their mobile web version works well but a native app would be nice.&rdquo; &ndash; Nick G., Founder, MeetSpace</blockquote>
<ul>
<li>Mobile apps are on the way! &nbsp;Android and iOS apps will launch in January after a round of beta testing. They&rsquo;ll be available in app stores free with TeamPassword subscription. In the app, you&rsquo;ll be able to:</li>
</ul>
<pre><code>- Add, edit, and delete Logins
- Use the Password Generator to create unique, secure, random passwords
- Manage the groups a login is shared with
- Get access to the passwords that you need while you&rsquo;re on the go
- Google sign-in
- 2 Factor Authentication
</code></pre>
We&rsquo;ll let you know more as the launch date gets closer! &mdash; Brian, TeamPassword
<blockquote>&ldquo;Not a terrible inconvenience but it would be nice to know who actually created the account so if there are any issues, we can contact the primary account holder.&rdquo; &ndash; Sunny R., Email and Mobile Marketing Lead, OrderUp</blockquote>
<ul>
<li>This has been addressed thanks to your feedback! We added an 'Owner' label next to the person's name in the organization who created the TeamPassword account on the settings page. &ndash; Brian</li>
</ul>
<blockquote>&ldquo;Inability to bulk remove all passwords in a group &ndash; this is very time-consuming when a client is no longer with us and we want to remove them, we have to click into every individual item to do so.&rdquo; &ndash; Melissa D., Grapevine Marketing.</blockquote>
<ul>
<li>This is a really good idea for us to address, especially considering the concept of client offboarding. We have plans to improve agency functionality for bringing on new clients as well as archiving old clients. &nbsp; &ndash; Brian</li>
</ul>
<blockquote>I would love to see a feature to help automate password rotation. The generate password function is only scratching the service. I want to see a PW archive feature (to csv) so I can still access passwords if we lose internet access. Documentation reports &ndash; Christopher F., Director of Global Cyber Security, International Justice Mission.</blockquote>
<ul>
<li>Totally agree on access, we set up our failover site to be live just in case our main data center goes down, and we could do more around letting you get your data out when you need it. We do have the &lsquo;oldest first&rsquo; sort option to help in rotating passwords, but we do have some improvements around password updating on the roadmap. &mdash; Brain</li>
</ul>
<blockquote>I&rsquo;d love to see if there are any plans to add FTP/SFTP/SSH access or tie-ins with Transmit or Cyberduck. &ndash; Drew, Director of Web Services, Altitude Marketing.</blockquote>
<ul>
<li>Great idea! A lot of our programmers use applications that aren&rsquo;t on the web so one thing we have been thinking about is getting TeamPassword into other applications and programs, since not every username and password is accessed via the web! &mdash; Brian</li>
</ul>
<blockquote>Please create apps. Please also start adding features. I don&rsquo;t think I&rsquo;ve seen a feature release in a few months. Please add word-based password generation, this is a really great feature of 1password (also see xkcd on horse nail passwords). Also, it&rsquo;d be good to see the ability to see which accounts a user has access to by selecting that user. From a political perspective it&rsquo;s often relevant to audit the access of an individual and with multiple password groups, it becomes a real pain to comb through every group to make sure that individual doesn&rsquo;t have access. &ndash;Gabe B., Operations Manager, Common IO</blockquote>
<ul>
<li>A lot of great feedback here! As mentioned before apps launch in January 2019, and we&rsquo;re trying to do a better job communicating the work that we&rsquo;re doing via email updates and through blog posts like this. We&rsquo;ve started down the road of showing what a user has access to via the profile page, it&rsquo;d be interesting for us to drill that down to a per-login basis, and I definitely think we can do a better job with the password generation option, especially around passwords that you can remember in chunks. &mdash; Brian</li>
</ul>
If you&rsquo;re frustrated with the way TeamPassword works (or doesn&rsquo;t work) please let us know! Chances are, we&rsquo;re already working on improving that thing that drives you crazy, but maybe you&rsquo;ll highlight something that we haven&rsquo;t caught onto yet! Email us directly at&nbsp;<a href="mailto:support@teampassword.com">support@teampassword.com</a>.
 Are you a TeamPassword customer? We&rsquo;d love to know what you think&mdash;hit us up on social media&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/teampassword">@TeamPassword</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;or review us on Google or at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.capterra.com/p/143793/TeamPassword/">www.capterra.com</a>&nbsp;or if you have a verified LinkedIn account, you can publish your review on&nbsp;<a href="https://www.g2crowd.com/products/teampassword/reviews?page=3">www.g2crowd.com</a>.
 Read all TeamPassword reviews at&nbsp;<a href="http://www.capterra.com/p/166361/TeamPassword/">www.capterra.com</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.g2crowd.com/products/teampassword/reviews?page=3">www.g2crowd.com</a>.
</div>

Chances are we’re working on improving the thing that drives you crazy, but maybe you’ll highlight something we haven’t caught onto yet!

TeamPassword has evolved thanks to the feedback — good and bad — that we get from our users. ...

Don't Hold Back: Tell Us What You Really Think

TeamPassword has evolved thanks to the feedback — good and bad — that we get from our users. Your earnest reviews help us to prioritize and develop product features, highlight areas that need improvement, and keep us committed to the task of building the best enterprise password manager in the game!

Don’t Hold Back: Tell Us What You Really Think about TeamPassword

Learn what to do if you forgot your Facebook password and how to use TeamPassword to make sure you never forget a password again.

Learn what to do if you forgot your Facebook password and how to use TeamPassword to make sure ...

What To Do If You Forgot Your Old Facebook Login

What To Do If You Forgot Your Old Facebook Login | TeamPassword

Password encryption is essential to store user credentials stored in a database securely. Without password encryption, anyone accessing a user database on a company's servers (including hackers) could easily view any stored passwords.
Even a strong 32-character password created using a <a href="https://teampassword.com/password-generator">secure password generator</a> is useless without password-encryption! If someone can read your password on a server, they can use it simply by copy/pasting it&mdash;no matter how long or complicated the password might be!
Encryption scrambles your password before saving it on the server. So, if someone hacks the server, instead of finding password123, they find a random series of letters and numbers.
In this article, we're going to explore the world of password encryption, why <a href="https://teampassword.com/blog/tips-and-tricks-to-create-a-strong-password">strong passwords matter</a>, and how you can practice better password management!
<a href="https://app.teampassword.com/dashboard#signup/testimonial">TeamPassword</a> is the password management solution for small businesses! Create, store, and share login credentials safely with employees, contractors, and clients. <a href="https://app.teampassword.com/dashboard#signup/testimonial">Sign up for a 14-day free trial</a> today!
&rlm;&rlm;&lrm; &lrm;[Table of Contents]
<ul>
<li><a href="#understandingpasswordencryption" rel="follow">Understanding Password Encryption</a></li>
<li><a href="#howdoespasswordencryptionwork" rel="follow">How Does Password Encryption Work?</a></li>
<li><a href="#5commonpasswordencryptionmethods" rel="follow">5 Common Password Encryption Methods</a></li>
<li><a href="#whystrongpasswordsmatter" rel="follow">Why Strong Passwords Matter</a></li>
</ul>
<h2 id="understandingpasswordencryption">Understanding Password Encryption</h2>
To explain password encryption effectively, we must first grasp the language. Several terms might be unfamiliar, so here is a quick intro to password encryption terminology.
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Key: Used to lock and unlock passwords using a random string of bits. You get private and public keys that crypt and decrypt data differently, but we won't get too deep in the weeds with keys!</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Bits: A logical state with one of two possible values, including 1/0, true/false, yes/no, or on/off as typical examples.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Block (block cipher): A deterministic algorithm operating on fixed-length groups of bits, called blocks.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Hash function: The algorithm that uses the key to create password encryption and decryption. A hash function is essentially a piece of code that runs every time someone saves a password or logs into an application.&nbsp;</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Hash: A random series of numbers and letters representing your password. The hash function uses your hash instead of the raw password for authentication.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Salt: Additional letters and numbers appended to the hash</li>
</ul>
&rlm;&rlm;&lrm; &lrm;
<h2 id="howdoespasswordencryptionwork">How Does Password Encryption Work?</h2>
When you save a new password, a hash function creates a hash version and saves that on the server.&nbsp;
Every time you log in using your password, the hash function recreates the hash to see if it matches what's stored. If the hashes match, the algorithm passes the authentication and logs you in.&nbsp;
For example:
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Original password: Pa$$w0rd123</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Hashed password: 6AF1CE202340​FE71BDB914AD5357​E33A6982A63B</li>
</ul>
While this might seem secure, simple hashed passwords aren't hack-proof.
The hash function only creates a unique hash for each password, not each user. So, if multiple users have the password, Pa$$w0rd123, the hash will be exactly the same.
To overcome this encryption vulnerability, engineers salt passwords so each hash is unique, even if the passwords are identical.
<h3>How Salt Works</h3>
A salt appends a unique value of 8 bytes (16 characters) to the password before the hash function creates a hash. This way, even identical passwords are unique before the hash function.
For example:
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Two identical passwords: Pa$$w0rd123</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Salt value one: E1F53135E559C253</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Salt value two: 84B03D034B409D4E</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Password one before hash: Pa$$w0rd123E1F53135E559C253</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Password two before hash: Pa$$w0rd12384B03D034B409D4E</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Password one hashed value (SHA256): 72AE25495A7981​C40622D49F9A52E4F15​65C90F048F59027BD9​C8C8900D5C3D8</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Password two hashed value (SHA256): B4B6603ABC670​967E99C7E7F1389E40​CD16E78AD38EB1468E​C2AA1E62B8BED3A</li>
</ul>
&rlm;&rlm;&lrm; &lrm;
<h2 id="5commonpasswordencryptionmethods">5 Common Password Encryption Methods</h2>
<h3>1. Data Encryption Standard (DES)</h3>
While applications no longer use Data Encryption Standard (DES), it's important to mention this password encryption method because of its history and influence on more secure modern standards.
IBM developed DES as a 56-bit encryption technology in the early 1970s. The NSA adopted and improved DES before it was approved worldwide as the encryption standard.
However, since the late 70s, hackers have been able to break DES encrypted passwords. In 1999, ethical hackers managed to break a DES key in under 24 hours.&nbsp;
To make DES more secure, engineers created Triple DES and later Advanced Encryption Standard (AES), which we still use today.
<h3>2. Triple DES</h3>
Triple DES uses three 56-bit keys (blocks) to create 168-bit encryption (some security experts argue that Triple DES is only 112 bits strong). Although Triple-DES is slowly being phased out, many financial institutions still use it to encrypt ATM PINs.
<h3>3. Advanced Encryption Standard (AES)</h3>
AES is the new encryption standard&mdash;trusted by the United States Government and many other prominent organizations globally. At 128 bits, AES is sufficiently secure, but most organizations prefer heavy-duty 256-bit encryption.
At <a href="https://teampassword.com/security">TeamPassword</a>, we use 256-bit encryption to store passwords, ensuring the highest levels of security for our clients. We're also a <a href="https://teampassword.com/security">secure hosting provider</a> holding multiple security accreditations.
Hackers can only break an AES encrypted password through a brute-force attack&mdash;trying password combinations to find the right one.
To counter brute-force attacks, applications will lock an account after a certain number of attempts or use tools like Google's reCAPTURE.
<h3>4. Blowfish</h3>
American cryptographer, Bruce Schneier, designed Blowfish in 1993 as an antidote to the weak DES encryption. Blowfish uses a 64-bit block and variable key length of 32 to 448 bits.
Although Blowfish is more robust than its DES predecessor, the 64-bit block is still vulnerable to attacks, most commonly birthday attacks&mdash;a cryptographic attack that exploits the mathematics behind the algorithm.
To solve Blowfish vulnerabilities, engineers created Twofish in 1998 (128-bit blocks with 256-bit keys) and Threefish in 2008 (256, 516, 1024-bit blocks with 256, 516, 1024-bit keys).
<h3>5. Rivest-Shamir-Adleman (RSA)</h3>
RSA is one of the oldest and widely used to transfer data securely. The encryption works with two keys, two large prime numbers, and an additional auxiliary value.
Due to the complicated encrypting and decrypting process, there is no known method for breaking RSA encryption.&nbsp;
Although widely used for transferring data, RSA is slow and not suitable for password encryption.
&rlm;&rlm;&lrm; &lrm;
<h2 id="whystrongpasswordsmatter">Why Strong Passwords Matter</h2>
Password encryption can only prevent criminals from viewing saved credentials stored on a server&mdash;but cannot prevent hackers from guessing weak/commonly used passwords. If you <a href="https://teampassword.com/blog/colonial-pipeline-ransomware-attack-dont-reuse-passwords">reuse the same password for multiple accounts</a>, this also puts you at risk!
Encryption is most effective when users create robust, unique passwords for every account. For example, a random 32-character password with letters, numbers, and special characters hashed and salted is near impossible to guess or decode, even using a computer!
In another scenario, let's assume you have a strong 32-character password, but you use it for every account. If hackers manage to steal that password, they have access to every account using the same credentials! Your strong password is effectively useless.
<h3>Improving Your Password Management</h3>
Now that you understand password encryption and the associated vulnerabilities, you can see why strong passwords are essential.
Effective password management is crucial to protect yourself against cyberattacks or in the highly likely event of a data breach where hackers steal your credentials.
Criminals are after the low-hanging fruit&mdash;people who use weak passwords!
5 tips for creating stronger passwords:
<ol>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Create strong passwords for every account. The easiest way to do this is using a password generator. <a href="https://teampassword.com/password-generator">TeamPassword has a free password generator</a> anyone can use to create passwords from 12-32 characters using uppercase, lowercase, numbers, and special characters. We recommend creating passwords as long as the application will allow.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Never create passwords shorter than eight characters, with 12 being our recommended minimum.&nbsp;</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Never reuse the same password for multiple accounts.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Never create passwords with your name, family member's names, or pet's names. With social media, this information is freely available. Criminals can add those names to algorithms for brute-force attacks.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Don't store passwords in digital notepads or spreadsheets. We recommend using a <a href="https://app.teampassword.com/dashboard#signup/testimonial">password manager like TeamPassword</a> to create and store your credentials.</li>
</ol>
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<h2>Why You Need a Password Manager like TeamPassword</h2>
We have so many accounts these days; it's almost impossible to create unique, memorable, secure passwords for each one. A password manager solves this problem.
Instead of remembering the credentials for every account, you only need to memorize the one to log into your password manager.&nbsp;
TeamPassword keeps all of your credentials safely stored and encrypted, so you never have to memorize a password again. Instead of entering your credentials, you use one of TeamPassword's browser extensions (Chrome, Firefox, and Safari) to log into accounts.
<h3>Built for Teams</h3>
TeamPassword's best feature is its ability to share credentials with team members securely. Instead of sharing passwords, you provide access through TeamPassword.&nbsp;
Employees <a href="https://app.teampassword.com/dashboard#signup/testimonial">use TeamPassword</a> to log in, meaning you never share raw passwords&mdash;no more worrying about unauthorized access or sharing.
You can create groups in TeamPassword to share access with employees, clients, contractors, and freelancers. When someone no longer needs access, remove them from the group with a single click. No need to change passwords every time someone leaves a project!
<h3>Built-In Password Generator</h3>
TeamPassword features a built-in secure password manager so you can create robust passwords for every account. TeamPassword also ensures you never reuse the same credentials so that you won't fall victim to credential stuffing attacks!
With a built-in password generator, you can change passwords regularly, and TeamPassword will update the new credentials for all users!
<h3>Monitor Login Activity</h3>
TeamPassword's activity log keeps track of every action across all of your accounts&mdash;logins, password changes, new team members, sharing access, and more.
You can also set up email notifications for all TeamPassword actions so that you can react fast to any suspicious activity.
<h3>Get Your Free TeamPassword Trial</h3>
Password encryption is not enough to protect your business from password vulnerabilities! You need a robust password manager like TeamPassword to create, store, and share credentials securely.
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<a href="https://app.teampassword.com/dashboard#signup/testimonial">Sign up for a 14-day free trial</a> and let TeamPassword secure your company's digital assets.

Password encryption is the number one component of password security. TeamPassword encrypts passwords with state-of-the-art technology to keep passwords safe.

Password encryption is the number one component of password security. TeamPassword encrypts passwords with state-of-the-art technology to keep ...

What is password encryption and how much is enough?

What is password encryption and how does it work?

Over the last decade, the gig economy boom has allowed professionals worldwide to switch to freelancing and build a network of international clients.&nbsp;
According to Upwork, 1 in 3 US workers engaged in freelance work during 2020. Some of the most successful freelancers earn hundreds of thousands of dollars per year through platforms like Upwork, Freelancer, and Toptal.
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Does your company hire freelancers? How do you <a href="https://teampassword.com/blog/should-i-share-data-with-freelancers">share passwords with freelancers</a>? TeamPassword is an affordable password management solution for small businesses, startups, and agencies to share credentials securely with team members and freelancers. <a href="https://app.teampassword.com/dashboard#signup/testimonial">Sign up for a 14-day free trial</a> today.
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<h2>10 Successful Freelancers</h2>
Here are ten successful freelancers and what they do. These freelancers have earned their place as experts in their given field with excellent track records&mdash;many have worked with the biggest companies in the world!
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<h3>1. Scott Luscombe - Graphic Designer / Shopify Expert / Website Developer / Copywriter&nbsp; - Canada</h3>
Scott Luscombe is a freelance graphic designer, Shopify expert, website developer, and copywriter from Uxbridge, Canada. He holds a degree in Illustration from Sheridan College and a degree in Marketing from the University of Toronto.
Scott has been a freelancer for most of his professional career and has earned over $500k on Upwork. He has completed over 311 jobs and worked&nbsp;10,956 hours!&nbsp;
Scott's work includes graphic design and branding, illustration and icons, copywriting, website design and development, UX/UI, and printing and packaging. He also provides freelance coaching and consulting. Scott is a Top Rated Upwork Freelancer currently charging $99 per hour for various creative gigs.
Some of Scott's most notable work includes designs for Coca-Cola, the Canadian Cancer Society, Nickelodeon, and Wallet Ninja (to name a few).&nbsp;
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<h3>2. Kathy Edens - Marketing Consultant / Freelance Copywriter - United States</h3>
<a href="https://www.upwork.com/freelancers/~016177d19f0624c1a7?viewMode=1">Kathy Edens is a Top Rated Upwork Freelancer</a> with over $300k platform earnings! Kathy has been self-employed as a marketing consultant and freelance copywriter for almost ten years from her home in Ohio, United States.
She holds a Bachelor of Science in Professional Writing and Psychology from Oregon State University, which she says "...helps me understand how to reach your target audience with words."&nbsp;
Kathy has ghost-written several non-fiction books on various topics, including social entrepreneurship, healthcare, real estate investing, and the cannabis industry, to name a few.
Kathy also writes web content, sales pages, email marketing content, case studies, white papers, brochures, press releases, and more. Kathy's rates start at $86 per hour for her writing and marketing services.
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<h3>3. Koen van Oeveren - UX designer - Netherlands</h3>
Koen van Oeveren is a freelance UI &amp; UX designer from North Brabant, Netherlands, with almost ten years of experience. Koen works with several design agencies in the Netherlands, designing apps, websites, and eCommerce experiences for many international brands.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;
Koen holds a Bachelor of Applied Science in Communication and Multimedia Design from Avans University in the Netherlands. Koen's <a href="https://www.koenvo.com/index.html">portfolio website Koenvo</a> was nominated for a <a href="https://www.awwwards.com/sites/koenvo-ui-ux-portfolio">2021 awwwards. Award</a>.
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<h3>4. Pascal Strasche - Product / UX designer - Germany</h3>
Pascal Strasche is a product and UX designer with more than ten years of design experience from Germany. He holds a Master of Arts in Interaction Design and a Bachelor of Arts in Graphic Design, both from HAWK University of Applied Sciences and Arts.
For almost a year over 2020/2021, Pascal worked as the sole product designer to design Con Cubo's SaaS tool that helps complex organizations visualize and manage teams. He's also worked with German steel giant XOM Materials to find product solutions to digitalize&nbsp;Germany's steel industry.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;
In 2019, Pascal founded Product Design Resources, a growing archive of 800+ design resources, weekly updated for the design community.
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<h3>5. Paul Hunkin - Developer - New Zealand</h3>
Paul Hunkin is a freelance software consultant and developer from Tauranga, New Zealand, but currently living in Portugal.&nbsp;
Paul has over ten years of experience as a software developer with an impressive work history, including Google, NASA, InfoSys, and the Chinese aerospace industry leader COMAC.
He's worked with several early-stage startups designing everything from high-performance big-data systems to complex web applications to 3D rendering engines. He's also built a lot of the foundational code for independent games on Android.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;
Paul is a Top Rated Upwork Freelancer with over $400k in platform earnings. His rates start at $120 per hour for software development. <a href="https://paulh.consulting/">Check out Paul's website</a> for more about his impressive portfolio and work history.
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<h3>6. Jana Galat - Writer / Brand Strategist - Canada</h3>
Jana Galat is a freelance copywriter and brand strategist from Ontario, Canada. She holds a Bachelor's Degree in Management and Organizational Studies from King's University College and an Honors in Business Administration from Western University.
Jana has extensive experience writing landing pages, email campaigns, social media ads, and print materials and says, "I am obsessed with creating copy that sells..."
After several years of professional work experience, Jana went freelance in 2019 and has quickly built a reputation as a <a href="https://www.upwork.com/freelancers/~01bfa17a48301876dd">Top Rated Upwork Freelancer</a> with over $70k in platform earnings. Jana's rates start at $100 per hour for copywriting and brand consulting.
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<h3>7. Kate H. - Logo Designer / Branding Expert - United States</h3>
Kate is a freelance professional logo designer and branding expert from Maryland, United States. Kate&nbsp;ran her own green wedding brand which she sold to mywedding.com in 2014, allowing her to focus on helping small&nbsp;businesses figure out what they want (and who they are) and translate that into design.
She holds a Master's degree in Environmental Management from Yale School of The Environment, and a J.D. in environmental law from Pace Law School.&nbsp;
Kate's skillset includes redesigning and updating material to make it easier to understand, building a consistent brand from a simple starting point like a logo, and creating unique logos that guarantee results.
Kate is a Top Rated Upwork Freelancer, and her rates start at $225 per hour. You can find out more about Kate on her <a href="https://www.upwork.com/freelancers/~013ce73876c1c18126" rel="follow noopener" target="_blank">Upwork profile</a>.
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<h3>8. Marcos Rezende - UX designer - Canada</h3>
Marcos Rezende is a UX Designer from Ontario, Canada, with more than 13 years of experience. Marcos has worked in over 30 industry sectors for multinational organizations in the United States, Canada, Germany, and Brazil.&nbsp;
Some of Marcos' notable projects include apps for Ontario's COVID-19 dashboard, Urban Master Planning collaboration platform, and Reaction (kid's e-learning app), to name a few.&nbsp;
Marcos loves sharing his industry expertise with aspiring UX designers and regularly writes for the popular UX publication Career Foundry. Total recognizes Marcos as part of its "Top 3%" of global freelancer talent&mdash;a title given to elite freelancers in their given field.
We don't have access to Marcos' rates, but the best UX designers on Upwork earn upwards of $100 per hour. As a Toptal Top 3% freelancer, Marcos likely charges $200-$300 per hour.
<a href="https://www.marcosrezende.com/">Marcos Rezende's website</a> was nominated for the prestigious <a href="https://www.awwwards.com/sites/ux-portfolio-marcos-rezende">awwwards.</a> in 2021.
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<h3>9. Tanya Litvinova - UX/UI Designer - United States</h3>
Tanya Litvinova is a freelance UX/UI designer from New York City, United States. She holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Advertising Design / Communication Design from the Fashion Institute of Technology.
Tanya specializes in product, mobile, and web design as well as user experience flow, research, and validation.
"I have a passion to make the complex simple, shape behavior, design, plan, and strategize. Aiming for the best user experience, all the while balancing the needs of business and technology to create engaging, habit-forming digital products."
Tanya has worked with Fortune 100 &amp; Fortune 500 companies and successfully delivered business-transforming data-driven analytics, responsive BI dashboards, enterprise web apps, and management systems. Some of Tanya's notable clients include KOCH Industries, BlackRock Financial, BCG Group, and FireEye, to name a few.
<a href="https://www.upwork.com/freelancers/~0165035041b26e96df">Tanya is a Top Rated Upwork Freelancer</a> with more than $200k platform earnings. Her current rate starts at $162.50 per hour.
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<h3>10. Guangming Lang - Data Scientist - United States</h3>
Guangming Lang is a freelance data scientist from Michigan, United States. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Mathematics from New College of Florida and a Master of Science in Biostatistics from the University of Michigan. Guangming has also completed several Coursera courses in data science and machine learning.
Guangming has been a freelancer since 2013 and has worked across several industries, including fintech, trading, medicine, biotech, advertising, and HR.&nbsp;
Guangming is a Top Rated Upwork Freelancer with over $400k in platform earnings. He's completed 216 jobs on Upwork totaling 3,805 hours! Guangming's current rates start at $200 per hour.
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<h2>Secure Freelancer Workflows With TeamPassword</h2>
No matter how talented or reputable the freelancers and contractors you hire, your company must use secure workflows to protect your digital assets.
Freelancers often need access to shared accounts and tools. Using a <a href="https://app.teampassword.com/dashboard#signup/testimonial">password manager</a> is the first step to securing these accounts and platforms. You can also use a password manager to share credentials with employees, clients, and other stakeholders to ensure you never expose raw passwords via email, spreadsheets, chat apps, and other non-secure methods.
<a href="https://app.teampassword.com/dashboard#signup/testimonial">TeamPassword</a> lets you create groups to share access with only those who need it. When they're done, revoke access with a single click. No need to change passwords every time someone leaves the team.
If you do need to change a password, TeamPassword's built-in <a href="https://teampassword.com/password-generator">password generator</a> lets you create secure passwords between 12-32 characters using numbers, letters (uppercase/lowercase), and symbols.
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Ready to onboard clients and freelancers securely with TeamPassword's robust <a href="https://app.teampassword.com/dashboard#signup/testimonial">password management solution</a>? <a href="https://app.teampassword.com/dashboard#signup/testimonial">Sign up for a free trial</a> to secure your company's digital assets today!

Here are ten successful freelancers and what they do. These freelancers have earned their place as experts in their given field.

Here are ten successful freelancers and what they do. These freelancers have earned their place as experts in ...

10 extremely successful freelancers and what they do

Here are ten successful freelancers and what they do. These freelancers have earned their place as experts in their given field with excellent track records—many have worked with the biggest companies in the world!

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Browse our carefully created articles about Information Security, Password Management, Product Information, and Modern Business, all written with your team's safety and success in mind.

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