Depending on the user, a hosted PBX account can contain scads of sensitive information. But as with most paid services, this is to be expected. As a precaution, hosted PBX registrants should carefully pick secure passwords to prevent unauthorized usage and data retrieval. Although this topic may appear elementary, it is one universally applicable.
FINDING EIGHT OR MORE CHARACTERS
Specialists advise choosing passwords eight or more characters long that combine both letters and numbers. For simplicity’s sake, users often use text scramblers and generators to form random sequences, but the results are often hard to memorize.
Whatever you do, do not pick numbers in succession (i.e. 1,2,3,4,5), letters adjacent to one another on the keyboard (i.e. A,S,D,F,G) or autobiographical names and dates. Instead, use a mnemonic device to create a seemingly random sequence of words and letters (i.e. the acronym for "My Cat’s Name is Fluffy" is "MCNF"), and then add symbols. You may wish to also stagger lower/uppercase letters for additional strength.
STORING YOUR SECURE PASSWORDS
Once you have created a strong password, watch what you do with it! Posting a sticky note to your desk, for instance, threatens the security of that account. Similarly, logging in from multiple computers – especially public ones – can invite unwelcomed visitors. Although maintaining several unique passwords and changing them routinely mitigates the risk, we suggest memorizing passwords, using a trusted password-vault app or keeping passwords in a hidden space, preferably away from the screen.
When it comes to battling guesswork, you can trickily answer “verification” questions without falling into the autobiographical trap. For example, if the service asks you to confirm your high school’s name, enter one you never attended. Likewise, do this for family members, birthdays and interests. So long as you can keep track of these password recovery answers, you never have to worry about fraud.
