It may seem like every year you hear of a crazy new holiday or themed day, well today may be no different than that to you. Today marks World Password Day, a day where we try to raise Internet awareness on cyber security and how you can protect yourself from being hacked. So in honor of today, I decided it is time to share some tips to help you all in making sure that you are as secure as you can be.
1. Never Reuse Passwords
This one should be considered common sense, but we all do get our lazy sides going and sometimes it is easier just to reuse the same one or a variation of it again and again. This should be a huge no, as if that account gets hacked, you can bet your Xbox S or Playstation 5 that those hackers will attempt to use that password to gain access to other accounts.
2. Use a Phrase or 10+ Characters
The longer the password, the hard to crack it - or at least that is what this one is all about. Yes, it does make it harder on you, but at the same time it makes it harder for a hacker and that is a good thing! You can also use a password manager to store these passwords for you, and many of them do offer a password generator that can help you to create a longer, random password if you don't want to use a phrase. This can also be helpful where they cannot use AIs to crack into a random password, as the longer it is, the longer it takes to crack.
3. Don't Share Accounts
I can promise this is not sponsored by Netflix, but sharing accounts and passwords can be a security concern. Most services and websites should do better by allowing everyone who is sharing a service to create their own login, but alas, that doesn't appear to be a concern to them. Perhaps we can remind them of this security liability on World Password Day?
4. 2-Factor Authentication (2FA)
As we approach to a more digital age, 2FA is a growing and popular option for many. It makes it harder for those to gain access to your account as most want to send you a random, generated code to your phone where you can see it and then enter it. It can feel like a real pain, but it can be a good thing as well especially for accounts that may house personal information.
What are some of your tips regarding password security? Is this the first time you have heard of World Password Day?
