Tech Tip Tuesday is written and made possible by Computek who has been providing Georgetown and Austin businesses with fast, reliable and secure IT support and services since 2001. Learn more about Computek on their website, Facebook page or Instagram profile.
These days, it seems like every site you visit requires a login. With so many passwords to remember, a lot of people make the mistake of making their passwords too simple or using the same password for every account. Some of the most common passwords are “password” “password123” “password123!” and “qwerty” (which happen to be all the letters on the top left of the keyboard.
While you might not have chosen any of these passwords, chances are your passwords might not be as secure as you think. Hackers can steal passwords that have been leaked in data breaches, use software to guess your passwords, and use phishing to trick you into giving them your passwords. Choosing secure and different passwords for each account is crucial, especially for those with financial information and personal data.
How Secure are Your Current Passwords?
If you want to find out how fast a hacker could crack your password, check out the graphic below to find out.
Image Courtesy: Computek
If you landed in the purple or red zone, it’s time to change your passwords. Not doing so can have some pretty serious consequences, so if you need a sign that it’s time to update your login information, this is it.
Why It’s Important to Create Secure Passwords
What can happen if your passwords aren’t secure? If a hacker can get into your email or social media, they not only have access to the information you have stored on the site but to all your friends and family too. It’s common for hackers to send messages pretending to be you to your friend’s list trying to sell things or trying to hack them as well.
If a hacker obtains the password to your financial institutions such as a bank or credit union, they will have access to personal information and your money. They will be able to wire themselves funds or make purchases through your account. A lot of this can go undetected until your bank flags suspicious activity.
Creating secure passwords is your first line of defense against hackers who seek to use your information to commit fraud and steal from you. While it can be a challenge to think of unique passwords, it’s worth it in the end. Here are some tips on how to create secure passwords.
Easy Tips on How to Create Secure Passwords
Long passwords are a good place to start. If you have a favorite movie, use the whole title with uppercase and lowercase letters combined with numbers and symbols you can remember. An example is, “ALeagueOfTheirOwn1992$”.
Another way to create a secure password is to use symbols and numbers in place of letters. An example is “101D@lm@ti@ns”. Typically, it’s easiest to use @ for A, $ for S, and 3 for E, as they look similar.
Lastly, never save passwords to your browser. It might be easy, but it’s not secure. If you need help saving your passwords, using a professional password keeper is the easiest and most secure way. A professional password keeper can help you generate new secure passwords and automatically fill in your login information for you. Just make sure you never lose your password keeper password, or you might be in a real pickle.
The Bottom Line
Creating secure passwords will help keep your data safe from hackers and give you peace of mind. If you need more help creating secure passwords or are interested in purchasing a password keeper, contact your local IT company for recommendations.
That’s all for this week’s tech tip. Until next time, stay secure out there!
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