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How to keep important documents safe? It’s a question that’s plagued us since long before the internet entered our lives, back when safe document storage involved placing papers in an old box under the bed. Today, as the digital space matures, it has led to several new ways to keep documents safe—for businesses looking to enhance collaboration and individuals looking to protect documents like wills, powers of attorney, bank statements, and more. At the same time, it has brought with it cybersecurity concerns. As hackers use more sophisticated techniques to steal important data, we must understand the risks involved and research the best possible solutions for securing files. Need help figuring out where to begin? Read on for our tips on how to protect important documents online. Why You Should Store Documents Online Is it better to keep documents online or offline? For individuals, the answer is both. Keeping crucial documents secure involves using a mix of physical storage spaces (safe deposit boxes, offline storage such as USB drives, and cloud-based applications such as Google Drive.) Combining all three gives you easy access to all files while protecting against theft, fires, and water damage. It also offers a way to preserve crucial paperwork for future generations. For organizations, secure file storage has become a necessity. This is especially true in sectors that rely heavily on sensitive documentation, such as healthcare and legal. Some benefits organizations see from storing documents online include: Enhanced collaboration Improved productivity Protection against disasters Cost-effectiveness Regulatory compliance And many more. How to Keep Important Documents Safe Online In this cybersecurity climate, passwordless authentication has emerged as a solution to all these challenges. It enhances safety across the board by going after the source of tDigital documents can be stored in cloud-based applications like Google Drive or Dropbox. Digital vaults are applications designed to safely store sensitive digital assets, including documents, images, and crypto-wallets. Both have their respective benefits: cloud-based solutions are better suited for a large number of documents, while digital vaults have extra security features. For maximum document security and accessibility, some digital vaults also allow you to create encrypted backups to a cloud-based service like Google Drive. Both options also have drawbacks. Cloud-based solutions cannot be accessed without the internet, often charge a significant amount for extra storage, and are more likely to be targeted by hackers and cybercriminals. Digital vaults have limited storage space and are best suited to protect personal documents, like passports and insurance papers. Either way, some features to look out for when storing documents online include: Password Protection Crucial documents must be password protected, so even if a malicious party somehow does get access to your files, there’s another layer of protection to break through. Of course, it goes without saying that longer and more complicated passwords offer enhanced security. Passwords should have a solid mix of letters, numbers, and special characters and be unique for each document. Remembering all these passwords is definitely a challenge. According to a Google poll, 75% of Americans struggle to keep track of their passwords. But this frustration is easily bypassed with the help of a password manager, an application that generates and stores hard-to-crack passwords for its users. Encryption Encryption refers to the process of scrambling data and making it incomprehensible to even hackers who manage to get access to it. It makes brute force attacks virtually impossible, and documents only accessible to authorized users with a decryption key. There are many ways to encrypt digital files, ranging from third-party applications to built-in mechanisms within Windows and Mac. Many cloud services and digital vaults integrate the highest level of encryption for securing files stored on their platforms. But for an extra layer of protection, it may also help to encrypt files before they are uploaded to these services. Two-Factor Authentication Another safe document storage practice involves setting up two-factor authentication. Most cloud-based solutions offer the option of 2FA to add a layer of protection for documents. This ensures that anyone who wants to access the document must pass through two stages of authentication — including a strong password, fingerprint scan, one-time password, or otherwise. With two-factor authentication, you will be prompted to provide access whenever someone logs in from an unknown device. So, even if a hacker knew your username and password, they would still need your device or face scan to access your documents. These three features are crucial when dealing with sensitive files. They enable safe document storage and provide the safest way to send important documents. The Benefit of Securing Files in a Digital Vault While cloud services have their benefits, in recent years, digital vaults have emerged as the best way to store digital documents. These applications make protecting your documents their primary goal, offering the highest standards of security. Most digital vaults automatically password-protect and encrypt documents. They come equipped with two-factor authentication and zero-knowledge architecture, making it virtually impossible for any outsider to gain access to private information. Some vaults, such as the Personal Privacy Controller Loop8, also double up as password managers, generating and storing complex passwords on your behalf. This eliminates the hassle of having to remember unique passwords for each file while offering bank levels of security protection. Digital vaults are very easy to use across devices and platforms, and you can securely share important documents with loved ones in case of an emergency. You can also organize your files better, as you only need one platform to act as storage for important documents. All of these benefits come at a very reasonable cost. How to Protect Documents with Loop8’s MySafe Now that we’ve looked into how to protect a document online, it’s time to take action. If you’re looking for a safe document storage option with the highest standard of security and an easy-to-use interface, look no further than Loop8. This personal privacy controller not only stores and generates crucial passwords on your behalf but also offers a MySafe vault, which

A 2024 survey revealed an alarming statistic: 46% of respondents reported that their passwords were stolen in 2023. That’s one in every two Americans! Since the early dot com days, passwords have been the first line of defense against cybercriminals. But while the internet has evolved in leaps and bounds since, you’ll be shocked to learn that “123456” is still one of the world’s most used passwords. In a world where cyberattacks are rising with alarming frequency, and hackers are adopting even more sophisticated techniques, we can’t afford to be this reckless. Internet users should create multiple unique passwords for each of their individual profiles and frequently change these authentication details. Alternatively, they could embrace passwordless authentication, an increasingly popular solution with many advantages. How does passwordless authentication work? What are its benefits? Let’s take a closer look. The Problem with Passwords Leading security experts have reiterated over the years that user-generated passwords are not safe. In fact, it’s not just the average internet user: a report suggests that nine out of 10 IT leaders are concerned about potential breaches, with about half indicating they didn’t think their passwords were strong enough. One of the main issues with passwords is that they’re becoming too easy to hack. Cybercriminals are known to target those who use the same passwords for multiple accounts and those who set easy ones to crack. Even those who create complex and unique passwords aren’t safe, as they are more likely to leave their passwords written down where they can be found. At the same time, hackers evolve continuously. These days, cybercriminals can employ a host of cutting-edge techniques to hack into protected accounts: Brute force attacks: In which a hacker uses a sophisticated program to generate several combinations of usernames and passwords until they get one right. Keylogging: In which hackers install malware onto devices to track keystrokes as you type. Credential stuffing: In which hackers use leaked credentials from one account to access other crucial accounts. Man-in-the-middle attacks: In which hackers use techniques like spoofing, hijacking, or eavesdropping to put themselves between a user and an application. What is Passwordless Authentication? In this cybersecurity climate, passwordless authentication has emerged as a solution to all these challenges. It enhances safety across the board by going after the source of the issue: the password itself. How passwordless authentication works: it replaces the password with an authentication measure that is harder to hack, such as biometric data or a security key. In other words, while traditional authentication works on a “knowledge factor,” which means it secures an account based on something the user knows, passwordless authentication relies on something the user possesses (such as a personal device or a one-time password) or something that’s a part of them (such as a fingerprint, voice, or retina). For example, users can use a password manager to avoid having to craft and remember dozens of different passwords, and eliminate the hassle of having to manually fill in details whenever they want to log into a website. Passwordless authentication is often used along with other safety measures like Multi-Factor Authentication or Single Sign-on to further enhance security. This also makes it harder and more expensive for hackers to break into accounts and steal personal data. Benefits of Passwordless Authentication There are several advantages of passwordless authentication—for users and the organizations that implement the system. Some include: Enhanced User Experience A recent NordPass survey revealed that the average person has a staggering 168 passwords and login credentials. Many of these accounts are no longer used and have been long forgotten, making them prime targets for cybercriminals. Obviously, remembering over 100 passwords, each with a unique set of numbers, symbols, and letters, is a lot to ask from the average person. So, one of the major benefits of passwordless authentication is that it improves user experience. Improved Safety Is passwordless authentication safe? It’s a question that many have asked, and the answer is always a resounding yes. By removing weak and repeat passwords, it significantly reduces the chance of human error leading to a breach. Furthermore, most passwordless solutions use multiple-factor verification, making it much harder for even the most seasoned cybercriminals to breach. These authentication measures go beyond simply analyzing if the credentials used are correct; they evaluate the location signed in from the device used and the frequency of login attempts. This makes it easier to identify suspicious activity. Reduced Costs Organizations in the process of implementing passwordless authentication for their employees stand to benefit from reduced costs. It’s estimated that businesses spend millions of dollars each year on password resets. This doesn’t even count the indirect losses incurred due to the time it takes to manage this activity. Increased Productivity Since this type of authentication works seamlessly across platforms, organizations will likely see an uptick in productivity. Employees no longer have to fumble around looking for the right password for the right account and spend precious time coming up with answers to security questions. They can instead spend more time on the jobs they were hired to do. Go Passwordless with Loop8’s Password Management System With that said, organizations may face certain challenges when implementing passwordless authentication. After selecting the right authentication type, it is crucial to invest in the right software and hardware and prepare to spend hours registering new users into the system. The average user, meanwhile, has to wait patiently until their most-used websites and applications support passwordless measures. But what if we told you there was a much easier way to gain all the passwordless authentication benefits without any of the headaches? It sounds too good to be true, but that’s exactly what we’ve created with Loop8, a revolutionary Personal Privacy Controller designed for maximum security.Loop8 eliminates the need for traditional passwords and reduces the risk of phishing attacks, all the while being exceptionally easy to install and use. Don’t believe us? Try our 90-day free trial today.    

Nearly half of all respondents of a recent Forbes survey reported that their passwords had been stolen in 2023. As many as 30% said it was because they used the same password across multiple platforms, and 35% said it was because they had set weak passwords. We can’t blame them—memorizing a new password for every account you create or every website you visit isn’t exactly a feasible solution. Furthermore, reusing passwords across platforms seriously increases the risk of personal data being compromised. So, what can be done to improve our online security? In this article, we’ll outline some essential tips for keeping passwords safe, as well as where to store passwords safely. What Makes a Password Unsafe? Before we get to the best way to store passwords, let’s take a look at what makes them unsafe in the first place. Here are some of the biggest mistakes people make regarding passwords: Using their own name or other personal information Creating passwords that are too short (less than 12-14 characters) Using the same password for multiple accounts Not identifying the most secure way to store passwords Saving passwords on a browser when using shared computers Not changing passwords frequently enough Avoiding these bad habits may seem like common knowledge to some. But you’ll be surprised to learn that even in 2024, the world’s most-used password is still “123456.” So, clearly, keeping passwords safe hasn’t been made as much of a priority as it should be. Password Managers: The Best Way to Save Passwords While creating difficult-to-crack and unique passwords is the most obvious solution to securing our online activity, it doesn’t solve one essential problem: you still have to remember which one you used for which account. Sure, if you have an exceptional memory, the safest way to store passwords is in your head. But considering that the average person handles about 80 passwords online, it’s highly unlikely that this solution will work for everyone. The next best option is using a password manager. A password manager is software designed specifically for keeping passwords out of the hands of hackers. The application provides the safest way to store passwords and enables you to create more complicated login credentials. This means you can have a unique password for each website you visit and account you open. Some password management systems also generate hard-to-crack passwords for you, doing away with the headache of having to create and remember them altogether. Others offer the capability to store other data, such as bank accounts, credit card numbers, and other digital assets, including documents, images, and crypto wallets. Benefits of Password Managers Why is such software considered the best way to manage passwords? Let’s take a closer look at some of the benefits a password manager offers. Improves Usability Password managers are not only the best way to keep passwords safe, they’re also the most convenient. With such an application, users can access all their accounts with a single click. At the same time, managers synchronize all passwords across devices, making it easier to log on wherever you are. Enhances Security The best password managers know exactly how to keep passwords safe. They use either two-factor or multi-factor authentication, which have been proven to protect against 96% of all phishing attempts and 76% of targeted attacks. Examples of such authentication measures include FaceID or TouchID. Meanwhile, some password managers, such as Loop8, only need your email and phone numbers and don’t require your name, age, gender, or address to sign up. Prevents Password Reuse This software can create complicated passwords and provide a platform for keeping passwords safe, enabling users to have distinct login credentials for every profile. This significantly reduces the risk of one breach snowballing and affecting an individual’s other accounts. Increases Visibility Some apps also offer tips on how to store passwords safely, as well as notify users in case a password has been compromised. Furthermore, it will also inform you if a site you’re using has been breached or when you’ve reused a password. This enhanced visibility allows you to take a more active role in keeping your data safe Why You Shouldn’t Use a Browser Password Manager Now, you’re probably wondering why you need a dedicated app for keeping passwords. If you’ve recently looked up how to store passwords safely, chances are you may have learned that a browser like Google Chrome is a convenient, free, and secure way to store passwords. However, most security experts don’t necessarily recommend using the password manager built into your browser. Here are some reasons why: They don’t work unless you are connected to the internet They are designed for convenience and not security They don’t notify users in case of weak and reused passwords All login credentials can be accessed by anyone who uses the same computer Forgetting to log out after using a shared computer significantly increases the risk of a breach Having all passwords linked to a single browser is restrictive If your browser is targeted with spyware, a hacker won’t need access to your device to get access to all your saved passwords The Bottom Line At the end of the day, there’s no doubt that the best way to keep passwords safe is by using a dedicated password manager. It provides more security and convenience, syncs across multiple devices, and maintains backups that are easy to access if data is lost. So, the question remains: how do you find the right one? If you’re looking for a password manager that follows the strictest safety standards, is designed for simplicity, and has all the above features and more, look no further than Loop8. This advanced personal privacy controller has proven to be a game-changer in digital security with its passwordless system. To learn more about why it’s the best way to manage passwords, try a 90-day free trial today.