Cyber security is a topic that frequently gets discussed within the news, with big companies releasing information about their security breaches and what precautions they’re taking to protect themselves in the future. A password is sometimes the primary defence against a hacker being able to access your information.
But how secure is your password?
Is it secure enough to keep a hacker out?
Here are our handy tips to ensuring your password is secure:
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Make sure you use a different password for each of your accounts
- Many people have one or two general passwords that they use for all their accounts.
- Imagine a chain of dominoes, all it takes is one to be knocked over and they will all fall down. The same goes for your password security if you use the same password across multiple accounts.
- It poses a massive security risk if one account is hacked, as a hacker would then be able to access all your other accounts using the password they have cracked.
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Don’t use personal information or simple passwords
- This could be anything remotely personal such as your name, age, birth date, child’s name, favourite colour, pet’s name, etc.
- Passwords that contain numbers in a consecutive order such as “12345” are also a big danger.
- Simply if the personal information you’re using within your passwords is readily available through social media or online, it’s inappropriate for a password.
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Make sure you always log off your account when leaving your device
- It would only take a moment for someone to change the password or steal your data.
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Use security software like firewalls, etc. and make sure they are kept up to date
- This will protect you from any malware that could infect your system.
- Regular updates ensure that any newly detected malware or hacking techniques cannot infect your system.
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Don’t give anyone your password
- This seems obvious but it’s surprising how often it happens.
- Remember secret is safe.
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Avoid entering passwords when using devices you don’t control
- It can be tempting to log into accounts whilst using computers or devices in a library or on holiday, etc.
- However, this puts you at a greater risk of possible malware that could be present within the system that could steal your passwords.
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Remember the longer the better
- Use at least eight characters of a mixture of lowercase and uppercase letters, numbers, and symbols in your password.
- The more complicated the better.
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Change your passwords periodically
- If the information your password is protecting is particularly sensitive, you should really change your password frequently.
- This will greatly improve the security of your password, making it much more difficult for a hacker to crack.
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Have a tip sheet
- If you struggle remembering passwords (we all do), make yourself a tip sheet.
- This is a document that will provide you with clues to remember your password but doesn’t actually reveal what your password is.
Hopefully by following our tips you have learnt the steps you need to take to ensure that your password is strong enough to keep hackers away from your personal data.
