Having a strong password can make or break your online security status. If you’re one of those people who use the same password for every account, it is time to change your bad password management habits! After all, it is better to be safe than sorry so make sure to implement everything you learn right away. Here are five ways you can easily secure your online passwords and reduce the risks of cyberattacks on your personal and business profiles.
#1 Never Use the Same Password Twice
You’d be surprised to know how many people use the same password for multiple accounts. After all, you might be one of them. It’s easy to understand why people are doing this. Using the same password over and over again means you don’t have to come up with new ones and memorize them. However, even though this makes things easier for you, it also makes it easier for hackers to access your accounts, steal data and inflict damage.
#2 Strengthen Your Passwords
Besides using a different password for each account, you need to make sure each of those passwords is strong enough to keep hackers out. There are plenty of online tools you can use to determine the strength of a password. However, as long as the password cannot be guessed easily, you will be good to go. To add even more strength to it, take advantage of numbers and symbols combos.
#3 Use Two Factor Authentication
To make your security wall unbreakable, implement two factor authentication solutions. These solutions require you to confirm access by sending you an alert to your phone, meaning no one who doesn’t have access to your phone cannot enter the account. If you’re logging into a site that offers the two factor authentication feature, make sure to take advantage of it. However, if you run a blog or a business, it would be a wise move to invest into one of these solutions. They are not expensive, yet they provide a lot of value in terms of online security.
#4 Change Passwords Regularly
Unfortunately, hackers are constantly coming up with new methods and improving their tools for hacking into different platforms and systems. Because of this, you cannot rest assured that your password will remain strong forever. It is recommended to change your passwords at least once a month to make sure no one can come close your account. This is especially important if you are trying to protect a financial account such as, for example, PayPal.
#5 Never Save Your Passwords On the Device
Now that you have a different password for each of your accounts, it might become difficult to memorize all of them, especially if you follow the previous advice and change the passwords on a regular basis. Many people have the tendency to use the “save password” feature provided by their browser. As convenient as this sounds, it is actually very dangerous, as hackers can easily gain access to your saved passwords and use them for malicious purposes.
Conclusion
Strengthening your passwords is an important aspect of maintaining a proper cybersecurity system. However, having the right passwords in place is certainly not enough to keep sophisticated hackers away from your system and accounts. To make sure all your data and devices are completely secured, implement the CIS 20 security controls as soon as possible. If you need help understanding this security framework, you can contact Network Pro to gain the assistance you need. Until then, take some time to work on your password management and change any bad habits you had up to now!
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