New law banning some passwords in Britain is an ‘important start’, says expert

Amid growing global cyber security threats, a technology expert says Britain has largely got it right with a new law.

The country is the first in the world to ban generic passwords on new smart devices.

“Under this law, if you buy a smart device, the manufacturer cannot just assign a password that is very easy to guess, like admin, or 12345 or, my favorite, password, and then just leave it at,” says Carmi Levy, a technology analyst, journalist and author.

“Study after study shows that the vast majority of us never bother to change those default passwords. So assign a more difficult password and force us to change it as soon as we get it. That is the new law,” he said.

Levy noted that he expects other countries, including Canada, to soon follow suit.

But there’s a catch. It doesn’t appear to include apps or online services, he said, and may also comfort smart device owners in a sense of apathy.

“This is certainly an important start,” he said. But “we seem to believe that the government can magically create a law and we will all be protected. In fact, the opposite may be true, because we think that because this new law is in place, we are somehow safer, so we let down our guard in other respects,” said Levy, adding that online users this makes them more vulnerable to attacks.

“We have a role to play, wherever we live. Don’t just rely on the government. Ultimately, the rubber goes with us on the road,” he said.

For greater security, Levy says there are a few things people online may want to add to their toolkit.

One source is a safe place to keep your passwords. Although there is no perfect method, he said.

“Of course the LastPass breach happened, and it has gone down in history as one of the most egregious security breaches by a so-called security company. So we no longer recommend LastPass, but certainly other platforms. You know, like Dashlane, like 1Password,” he said.

“Or, if you want to use a notepad that you lock in your desk drawer, that will work for some people too. Whatever it is, it makes almost no difference. Do something, because most of us do nothing, and we make it ridiculously easy for us to become victims.”

The expert said it’s also a good idea to develop layers of security, such as facial, fingerprint or voice recognition, “so I have an extra lock on that front door.”