11/23/2023 0 Comments Easy good passwords![]() Google's Authenticator app steps up your security. If thieves do steal your password, you can still keep them from gaining access to your account with two-factor authentication (also called two-step verification or 2FA), a security safeguard that requires you enter a second piece of information that only you have (usually a one-time code) before the app or service logs you in. Use two-factor authentication… but try to avoid text message codes The reason? Many of us, by being forced to change our passwords every few months, would fall into bad habits of creating easy-to-remember passwords or writing them on sticky notes and putting them on our monitors. No need to periodically reset your passwordįor years, changing your passwords every 60 or 90 days was a long-accepted practice, because the thinking went that was how long it took to crack a password.īut Microsoft now recommends that unless you suspect your passwords have been exposed, you don't need to periodically change them. If you want to check if a password you're considering using has already been exposed in a hack, go to Have I Been Pwned and enter the password. Hackers can effortlessly use previously stolen or otherwise exposed passwords in automated login attempts called credential stuffing to break into an account. For example, PasswordOne, PasswordTwo (these are both bad for multiple reasons).īy picking a unique password for each account, hackers that crack into one account can't use it to get access to all the rest. The same goes for modifying a root password that changes with the addition of a prefix or suffix. If someone uncovers your reused password for one account, they have the key to every other account you use that password for. It's worth repeating that reusing passwords across different accounts is a terrible idea. Here's What Experts Say Really Helps Don't recycle your passwords, seriously Read more: Strong Passwords Aren't as Easy as Adding 123. ![]() A longer passphrase composed of unconnected words can be difficult to remember, however, which is why you should consider using a password manager. The Electronic Frontier Foundation and security expert Brian Krebs, among many others, advise using a passphrase made up of three or four random words for added security. (This is not foolproof, a criminal could have compromised one of your devices or accounts, but for most of us, 2FA by phone, text or email is a big step forward in security.) Software and hardware tokens, available on some sites, add another layer of security.Longer passwords are better: 8 characters is a starting pointĨ characters are a great place to start when creating a strong password, but longer logins are better. The assumption is a crook won’t answer your home phone, have your mobile device or be on your computer. By adding an additional factor for logging in, you're increasing your online security by more than 10 times.”įor most of us, outside the workplace, 2FA means getting a text, call or email that requires us to do something to verify our identity. Your password is the first factor, the first step to log-in, but you need to have multiple steps. “No matter how strong a password is, if you use it anywhere, chances are that in a matter of time, the bad guys will have it,” said Nick Bilogorskiy, cybersecurity strategist with Juniper Networks. That’s why security experts recommend two-factor authentication (2FA). You may get fooled by a phishing email scam and accidentally give your passwords away, or they could be stolen in a breach. But even the best passwords can be compromised. Strong passwords are the first step in securing your digital life. Two-factor authentication: The next line of defense For example, if your Starwood password was compromised in the mega-breach announced by Marriott International in November, and you’ve used the same password for other accounts, all of them are now vulnerable - even if you change your Starwood password. ![]() Reuse the same password on multiple accounts and your exposure grows with each new breach. ![]() That gives me the log-in information for your bank account, your credit card account, and all your other accounts with that same password,” Johnson told NBC News BETTER. “If you use the exact same password, which most people do, and I can get that password through a phishing attack or data breach. Most Wanted List 2006) who turned his life around after getting out of prison and is now a digital security consultant. “This is not rocket science,” said Brett Johnson, a notorious cyber thief (U.S. By using the same password or simple variations (i.e., admin1, admin 2, admin 3) for numerous accounts, you become vulnerable to what’s called “credential stuffing” - a cyberattack that uses stolen credentials from one site to gain unauthorized access to other sites. ![]()
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