Heartbleed,
Gotofail, Sony’s expansive Playstation Network, even the NSA—every few
weeks a new story seems to be circulating in the media about the next
big security breach. With so much of your life making its home in your
devices, it’s really hard to feel safe. The truth is, these breaches do
happen. Period. But that doesn’t mean they’re unavoidable. And one of
the best ways to keep yourself protected lies right at your fingertips.
Our
passwords are perhaps the easiest way to ensure our safety online and
yet, many of us (myself included—at least in the past), have taken them
for granted. We go simple, we go easy to remember, and it’s making us
incredibly vulnerable to cyber attacks.
By
following a few simple tips and tricks, you can avoid a data breach in
your own life and ensure that your most precious data stays just
that—yours.
Update Your Browser and Other Devices
It seems really simple but keeping your browser up to date is actually one of the best ways to keep you and your data protected.
Old browsers are less stable and are highly vulnerable to spyware,
viruses, malware and many other security issues. Updates are capable of
patching newly discovered security problems and keeping your password
out of the wrong hands.
Make Use of Two-Factor Authentication
Two-factor
authentication is a sure-fire way to ensure your online safety. With
it, in addition to your typical password protection, users have to
provide a one-time code at the time of login. This code is usually sent
to your mobile phone in the form of a text message. Once you have
entered your password, the login service will prompt you to enter the
one time authentication code. This process adds a second, secure layer
of protection to the standard username and password login process and is
truly a practical approach to doubling up your Internet safety.
Use HTTPS
When looking for the most protected version, hypertext transfer protocol
or HTTPS is the best is the business. This appears as the series of
letters before the ‘www.’ in the web address. Webpages with https in the
URL tend to be more secure so try to use it whenever possible as it
works to bi-directionally encrypt details sent between you and the
server of a website. Most importantly, encryption with https is more apt
to offer benefits such as webpage integrity and confidentiality. By
using this, your information is better safeguarded against any prying
eyes as only the server and your browser alone can decrypt the traffic.
Use a Password Manager
Fairly
new technologies, Password Managers are a great way to protect yourself
against security breaches while doing only half the work. While you
should make use of strong passwords, rotate your passwords periodically,
and always use different passwords for different accounts, none of
these techniques safeguard against human fallibility. With so many
different accounts and all of the passwords that come with them, it is
very easy to forget what goes where. A Password Manager works to keep
your passwords in a secure place, hidden behind the most secure password
you can think of—preferably something that contains a selection of
random letters, numbers, and symbols. By using a Password Manger, you
cut down the passwords you need to remember to one, while still ensuring
that each account you use has a unique password.
Which brings us to…?
Create Unique Passwords
Every
account, every time—you always need a different password. Password
reuse is your number one enemy. So, remember to create a distinct and
unique password for each site you visit and use. Ditch all those
standard words you’re used to using and never use any key dates, names,
or characteristics about yourself. For instance, ilikedogs69 probably
isn’t going to cut it. If you must use a common word (and hey, we get
it—sometimes there’s just no other way to remember), try skipping
letters—haveheart1212 could become havheart1212. By skipping letters,
you instantly reduce the ease of guesswork for your assailant. Write
backwards, vary between upper and lowercase letters, and always include
several numbers and characters. Remember—the longer, the better.
So, there you have it—five easy steps to securing your password.
It’s your safety, right at your fingertips.
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