Software & Technology

How do you log in to accounts at work?

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Online security is more paramount than ever, here are some considerations about the different ways you can log in to your systems.

Password tips:

1, 12-15 characters seem to be the most frequently recommended amount of characters.

2, Use a combination of letters: ‘abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz’, numbers: ‘0123456789’, spaces and special characters: !@£$%^&*()_-[{}]’”\|±,./?`~

3, Avoid personal information or dictionary words. Consider implementing a password rule, such you turn phrases into numbers or letters. Here’s an example of how this might work.

4, If you had the password England, you could combine this with a date of birth, such as the ‘11/6/72’, or alternatively, ‘11672’. If you then turn the letters into numbers, following the rule a=1, b=2 c=3 and so on, then England becomes ‘5147121144’. If you turn ‘11672’ into letters following the same rule, then it becomes ‘aafgb’.

5, This could then become 5147121144aafgb, or if you want to make it more difficult to guess, put the letters inside the numbers. For example, 5147aafgb121144.

When setting a password with People HR we have the following rules:

 * 8 or more characters

 * At least 1 uppercase letter

 * At least 1 number

 * At least 1 special character

Need more than a single password?

 * Two-factor authentication is a reliable method of protecting your accounts from being hacked.

 * Password management software and single sign-on (SSO) providers can be a secure way of managing to log in if you’re prone to forgetting passwords.

Can Biotech help?

In July 2017, tech company Three Square Market (32M) offered its employees the opportunity to be microchipped for work, allowing them to complete menial tasks such as logging in to computers, and gaining access through doors, etc.

The news of this gained a mixture of responses, some hailed the progress of technology, whereas others drew comparisons with George Orwell’s ‘1984’. The technology works using Radio Frequency Identifiers (RFID), similar to contactless credit/debit cards. For those interested in the technology, but not the implant, the chip was offered in a Near Field Communication (NFC) ‘Smart ring’ or wristband.

The chip isn’t trackable, as it has no GPS capabilities. But some claim the chips could be used for more invasive information gathering, such as how long is spent in the bathroom. Three Square Market claims the chips aren’t harmful and are protected from identity theft, as the chips are encrypted.

32M states that their “partnership with Biohax Sweden [who produce the chips] is focused on privacy & integrity, ethical development, and sustainability.”

Aren’t we all microchipped anyway?

Most people already carry around a microchip in their pocket – in the form of a smartphone. People HR supports technology where employees can use our “TapInTapOut” functionality to sign a timesheet automatically using location data on their phone as they arrive at the office… arguably much less scary than an implant.

Microchipping has been included in our blog post “what will HR systems be like in 100 years?”

Are biometrics secure?

This news raised several questions about the security of biotech. Hackers have managed to fool iPhone fingerprint scanners using ‘play-doh’ and Samsung retina scanners using a photograph and a contact lens. This isn’t to say all biometrics are insecure though, there are plenty of benefits if the right security measures are taken.

People HR has the capacity to support two-factor authentication through google authenticator and our app integrates with SSO (single sign-on) providers such as OneLogin.