Protect Your Personal Information by Protecting Your Password
Have you ever been a victim of password theft. If not then you are such a lucky sod. If you were a victim before, then you already know the reason why you need to use a "strong" password. Very often, the only thing that safeguard yourself from the online identity theft when you frequent many online sites such as Ebay or Amazon is your password. Your password is also used when you set up various programs in your computer. But how do you know if your password is not secretly been sent out to the online thieves?
These crooks can that data to steal your identity and make online transactions for themselves. Every web site you register requires you to enter a password - be it your bank account, credit card statements etc. So it is extremely important you must know the basic tips of protecting and securing your password.
Do not EVER use the same word as your Login!
Pretty straight forward tip. Of course using a simple password will be easier to remember. However, that makes it easier for identity theft to occur as well because it is so easy to guess! Also do not use your birthday, social security number, or any personal information that is easily attainable. Once a thief is armed with such knowledge about you, you are vulnerable.
The most secured password is the longest password.
Security experts recommended that you use at least eight characters in a password. If you can use more charaters, then please do so. You can also use a combination of letters, numbers, and symbols as well. Or you can also take the first letter of your favorite verse as a password. For example, such password like "iwtbilgm" would mean "I Want To Believe In Little Green Man". You can substitue "i" with the number 1. This is an example of a "strong" password. It is easy to remember for you and yet you had added complexity for anyone, including the hackers. Common sense will tell you that "abc123" is a weak password, just as 123456 will not provide any security at all as such character combinations are easily cracked.
For different sites, use different passwords
You should use different passwords for different web sites. Why such hassle? Because if one password is stolen, it is very likely that the cyber thief will locate other web sites you use and attempt to hack into every one. By using a mixture of strong passwords, you protect some of your key information in case one password has been discovered. Although your online sites might remind you, it is also important to change your password every couple of months to ensure it is too complicated for a thief to waste time trying.
Never give your password to anyone, except to your wife, maybe.
Never ever give your password to anyone other than a person you can absolutely trust, who will not betray you. In fact, even if you do know the person well, it is best that you simply write the password down at home, put it away for safekeeping, and then keep it to yourself. And don't leave that password - even at home - just sitting on your desk or near your keyboard. That's an invitation to theft for someone visiting your home.
These crooks can that data to steal your identity and make online transactions for themselves. Every web site you register requires you to enter a password - be it your bank account, credit card statements etc. So it is extremely important you must know the basic tips of protecting and securing your password.
Do not EVER use the same word as your Login!
Pretty straight forward tip. Of course using a simple password will be easier to remember. However, that makes it easier for identity theft to occur as well because it is so easy to guess! Also do not use your birthday, social security number, or any personal information that is easily attainable. Once a thief is armed with such knowledge about you, you are vulnerable.
The most secured password is the longest password.
Security experts recommended that you use at least eight characters in a password. If you can use more charaters, then please do so. You can also use a combination of letters, numbers, and symbols as well. Or you can also take the first letter of your favorite verse as a password. For example, such password like "iwtbilgm" would mean "I Want To Believe In Little Green Man". You can substitue "i" with the number 1. This is an example of a "strong" password. It is easy to remember for you and yet you had added complexity for anyone, including the hackers. Common sense will tell you that "abc123" is a weak password, just as 123456 will not provide any security at all as such character combinations are easily cracked.
For different sites, use different passwords
You should use different passwords for different web sites. Why such hassle? Because if one password is stolen, it is very likely that the cyber thief will locate other web sites you use and attempt to hack into every one. By using a mixture of strong passwords, you protect some of your key information in case one password has been discovered. Although your online sites might remind you, it is also important to change your password every couple of months to ensure it is too complicated for a thief to waste time trying.
Never give your password to anyone, except to your wife, maybe.
Never ever give your password to anyone other than a person you can absolutely trust, who will not betray you. In fact, even if you do know the person well, it is best that you simply write the password down at home, put it away for safekeeping, and then keep it to yourself. And don't leave that password - even at home - just sitting on your desk or near your keyboard. That's an invitation to theft for someone visiting your home.
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