Is Your Password Protecting You?

The use of smartphones and the internet has become an inseparable part of our lives. It’s almost impossible to live without it, especially with the rise of mobile banking and other online financial transactions. But it’s important to remember that the internet is a dangerous place where strangers can find and steal your personal information with just a few clicks of a mouse.

Hackers and identity thieves have been more common in recent years, particularly since the start of the pandemic. The consequences of their actions are very real; if your password is compromised and a hacker accesses your email, bank account, social media, and other online accounts connected to it, they can potentially withdraw money from your bank account, empty your savings, or use your identity to carry out another cybercrime. And since you can’t change the password that you use for multiple services, you could be locked out of everything.

Fortunately, there are a number of simple steps you can take to keep your personal information secure online.

How to Create a Secure Password

To keep your data safe, you need to make sure your password is strong and unique, that it’s easy to remember but hard to guess, and that you DON’T use it across multiple services. If any of these elements are missing, a hacker could easily find a way to access your information.

Here are a few simple steps you can follow to ensure that your passwords are strong and difficult to crack:

• To begin, create a passphrase with at least eight characters. That character count was four a few decades ago – and many people still use “1-2-3-4” and “0-0-0-0” – DON’T!
• Longer passwords are significantly more difficult to crack than shorter ones, the longer the better.
  After that, make sure you combine uppercase and lowercase letters, and numerals and include special characters.
• Avoid using phrases or information that can be easily guessed, such as your birthdate or address. Finally, never write down or save your password in an unsecured spot.
• If you’re using two-factor authentication and a device that’s constantly connected to the internet, you can add an extra layer of security by encrypting your password.

With these tips in mind, creating a secure password is easy and will help you keep your online accounts – and your identity – safe from hackers.