Security is a priority at NISC, and a big part of securing our solutions means protecting passwords. You’ve likely been a part of a scenario where you’ve had to change your password due to a possible breach, whether it’s through a big chain store or a social media site.

At NISC, we’re constantly working to ensure the security of NISC solutions is as up-to-date as possible. As part of that security effort, we are making some changes to how login credentials are stored for the SmartHub web and mobile application.

Starting this month, NISC has moved from storing encrypted SmartHub passwords in iVUE CIS to storing hashed passwords in our Cooperative Cloud environment. This change allows us to leverage new recommended security measures by the National Institute of Standards and Technology and will allow us to further our security by adding new measures like two-factor authentication.

Ultimately, what this means is that we’ll be able to offer improved security, not only for SmartHub users, but for our Members that use SmartHub. Security is critical, and this is just the beginning of our process as we work to ensure that all NISC products are as secure as possible.

This change is part of NISC’s commitment to cybersecurity, not only at our organization, but at our Member sites as well. NISC offers a series of webinars, blog posts, cyber tips and trainings through our Member-Employee learning community. NISC has also released the “CyberSense Educational Kit,” a downloadable kit containing a series of customer-facing tips designed to protect their identity and strengthen their cybersecurity practices. Offered free of charge to any organization requesting the material, the kit is updated routinely as new information, tips and security recommendation updates become available.