Every year thousands of people and businesses fall victim to scams, fraud and hacking. If you want to protect your online accounts from cybercrime, here are five password tips that will strengthen your security.
Use a new password every time.
Don’t reuse your passwords. If one of your passwords becomes compromised, all your accounts could be at risk. Even passwords where a couple of numbers or letters have been changed can be easily figured out by those trying to access your account. Change your password every time you open a new account.
Regularly review your passwords
Regularly review and change your passwords every 6 months or so. This ensures that your accounts are protected in case you accidentally click on a fraudulent email or if your password appears in a data leak. Many smartphones can now tell you if your password has appeared in a data leak. You can check your password keychain or vault for this notification.
Set up two-factor authentication.
Any account that stores sensitive data should have two-factor authentication set up. Two-factor authentication means you have to ‘approve’ a login to an account through another device. It can be set up through an authenticator app, or it can be as simple as sending a message to your email or phone to confirm it is you trying to access your account. This ensures that even if your password is compromised, your account will still be safe.
Invest in a password manager.
A password manager creates and securely stores passwords to your accounts. It’s an incredibly helpful piece of software that can prevent cybercrime and take the weight of creating and remembering passwords off your shoulders. Password managers are easy to use and are an efficient way of protecting your data.
Consider switching to a passkey
Passkeys are becoming more common for online accounts as they are one of the strongest forms of security. Passkeys use biometrics such as your fingerprint or facial recognition to protect your accounts and remove the need for using, remembering and changing passwords. They make your accounts nearly impossible to hack due to the way they work. Some organisations that accept passkeys for accounts include Google, Amazon, Ebay and many more.
What do you think of these password tips? Did we miss any? If you’re wondering how you can make your accounts more secure, or you’re worried about your IT security, get in touch to find out more about how we can help.
