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05-01-2023 11:37 AM - edited 02-22-2024 02:58 PM
We all have several online accounts and use passwords every day to access them. If a cyber criminal gets access to your account they will take over that account then look for more accounts they can get into.
Passwords are an important first step in protecting yourself. Here are some do’s and don’ts for best using passwords:
Don’t
- Use a password that is easily guessed such as your birthday, your dog’s name, etc.
- Re-use your password across multiple apps or web sites. Also, don’t use similar passwords with one or two characters different.
- Share your password with anyone
- Write your password on a piece of paper
Cybercriminals have many techniques they use to compromise passwords and they often look for people who don’t follow good practices. Their ability to crack passwords have improved greatly and they can figure out simple passwords in no time. According to cybersecurity company Hive Systems, an 8-character password with upper case and lower case letters, numbers and special characters can be cracked in minutes, whereas a 12-character password can take many years.
So what can we do to have better passwords?
Do
- Use strong passwords – use 12 characters or more and ensure the password has a combination of lower case and upper case letters, numbers and special characters (!$#%*&).
- Have a unique password for each service – If an attacker gets one password the first thing they will do is try it on many different accounts to see if they are reused.
- Enable multi factor authentication (MFA) – MFA or two-factor authentication (2FA) provides another step in the validation. A unique code is sent via text, email or an app that you set up and this code must be entered as a second step in the sign in process.
- Use a password manager – If you have many unique passwords it may be difficult to remember them all. Use a password manager to help create and store long and unique passwords for each service.
Even if you follow all these tips, you should always be diligent and check your accounts regularly, watch for breaches in the news and occasionally check site like haveibeenpwned.com to see if your information has been exposed to cybercriminals.
If you fear you have been hacked, immediately change your password, check your other accounts for suspicious activity and report it to relevant organizations.
To learn more about passwords and how you can protect yourself from cybercrime please go to bell.ca/security.