Regardless of any other resolutions you may have chosen, one is very necessary: choosing strong passwords and changing them regularly.
Whether you’re banking or shopping online, doing research or social networking, you need account passwords. Unfortunately, the more details you share, the easier it is for cybercriminals to use your information. One way to help keep your personal details safe is to choose strong passwords.
Simple passwords, such as 12345, or common identifying information, like birthdays and pet names, are not safe for protecting important accounts holding personal information. Using an easy-to-guess password is like locking the door but leaving the key in the lock. Weak passwords can quickly be broken by computer hackers. But it’s impossible to remember a unique strong password for every account!
The good news is that creating and storing strong passwords with the help of a "password manager" is one of the easiest ways to protect ourselves from someone logging into our accounts and stealing sensitive information, data, money or even our identities.
Use these simple tips to create strong passwords:
Make them long. The more letters, numbers, and characters you use, the stronger your password will be. Consider using paraphrases.
Make them random. Names, birthdays, and hobbies can be easily guessed by anyone who searches for your name on the Internet.
Make them unique. Use a different strong password for each of your accounts.
Consider a reputable password manager that can generate and save your passwords.
Last, but certainly not least, use multifactor authentication (MFA) for all accounts. It’s an extra layer of security that is well worth your time.
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