Passwords in Real Life: Don’t be Lazy
It’s tough being responsible sometimes. And managing responsibilities for what is precious in your life usually takes a little extra thought. Let’s say you’ve just welcomed a beautiful set of triplets into the world. Lucky you . . . and lots to managed! But, you wouldn’t give all these babies the same name simply to make it easier to remember, right?
Consider this same concept as you manage other precious aspects of life, like your on line accounts. It may seem convenient – and easier to remember — to use the same password for all accounts.
But a single password across all accounts can also make it convenient for hackers to access your valuable information on these accounts.
Most of us have a number of accounts that require us to use and remember different passwords, which brings us to the question, “If we can’t use the same password for all of our accounts, how do you expect us to remember all of them?” The solution is easy.
You need a password manager.
A password manager will help you create an un-crackable password, and it will even give you a “master” password that will be able to get you into all of your accounts. That way you really will have only have one password to remember.
Password managers eliminate the need to reset passwords, and improve the security of your online accounts that contain your pertinent information. A password manager allows you to log into sites and apps using multiple factors that are unique to you, like your face and fingerprints and the devices you own.
Here are some useful tips for making strong and protected passwords:
- Make sure your passwords are at least eight characters long and include numbers, letters and characters that don’t spell anything.
- Use different passwords for separate accounts, especially for banking and other high-value websites.
- Change your passwords frequently.
Robert Siciliano is an Online Safety Expert to Intel Security. He is the author of 99 Things You Wish You Knew Before Your Mobile was Hacked!
