With the increase of malicious cyber, hacker, and scammer activity online it is more important than ever to use good password security practices to protect yourself online. Hackers and scammers are working 24/7 trying to exploit and take advantage of innocent people around the world. These people are criminals with no shame, morals, or ethics they don’t care how they exploit you as long as they get your personal information in order to steal your money
Having a secure and strong password that is changed on a regular basis reduces the risk of getting your accounts hacked. Also using different passwords for the different services you use online is also very helpful to stop hackers and scammers from getting hold of your money.
Avoid Using Weak Passwords
Weak passwords are made up of common words, numbers, or keyboard patterns that can be easily guessed by anyone who wants to crack the passwords. Avoid using these types of passwords, they might be easy to remember for you but they are also easy for the person who wants to steal all your money.
Some examples of weak passwords include
- password
- 123456
- qwerty
- password1
Create A Strong Password
It is very important to create a strong password for the services you access and use online. The Good news is most online services now force you to create a strong password or will even provide you with suggestions. We recommend using the following advice when creating a password
- Make it at least 8 characters long
- include a combination of upper and lower case letters
- include some numbers and keyboard symbols
- Do not include personal information, such as your name, any usernames, your date of birth, or any family member’s details.
- Do not include easy-to-guess words
Use A Password Generator
Password generators allow you to easily generate strong, random passwords which are both complex and hard to guess. If you’re struggling to think of a secure, strong password try one of the following websites
- https://www.lastpass.com/features/password-generator
- https://my.norton.com/extspa/passwordmanager?path=pwd-gen
- https://www.avast.com/en-gb/random-password-generator
Use Different Passwords
It can be difficult to create different passwords for the different services you use online and the easy thing would be to use the same password for all your services. If a hacker or scammer guesses your password they will also have access to all your online services. Just imagine what that could do to your life if the hacker got access to your Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp This is why we recommend you use a unique password for each service you use. You can use password managers easily manage all your details in one place
Use A Password Manager
Password managers are a great way to manage all your passwords in one place especially if you’re accessing and using multiple services online. The following services below are free to use and will provide a safe and secure way of accessing the information you need.
- https://passwords.google.com ( Google Chrome Browser )
- https://www.dashlane.com/personal
- https://www.lastpass.com
- https://www.avira.com/en/password-manager
Change Your Passwords
If possible try and change your passwords on a regular basis, ideally, every three months would be the best security policy. This will ensure that you are making it as hard as possible for the hackers to guess.
Be Careful With Your Passwords
Try to avoid writing your password down on paper or putting it on a sticky note for someone to see. Also, avoid entering, or storing them on your computer in a TXT, Microsoft word, or excel document. Do not send them via email or another social media platform in plain text.
Do Not Share Passwords
Never share your password with anyone. The bank, government, local council, or any other reputable business will never ask you to share your password with them over the phone, email, or social media. The only people who will ask you to share this information are the hackers, and scammers trying to steal your money.