Online Security: A Simple Trick
Online security is a constant battle. Try this simple trick to add an additional layer of safety to your accounts.
The number one way to keep your information safe is a strong password, a seemingly easy approach to a complicated situation. According to this infographic we are all our own worst enemy when it comes to the security of our online data. A study performed by TeleSign showed that 47% of people surveyed use passwords that are at least five years old and 21% use passwords that are more than ten years old.
The five most commonly used passwords in 2014 were:
- 123456
- password
- 12345
- 12345678
- qwerty
Yes, people are still using passwords like this to keep information safe. We will pause for a moment for you to shake your head disapprovingly….
The study also showed that 73% of online accounts use duplicated passwords, or the same password for multiple accounts. This creates a domino effect where if one account is compromised the rest will quickly fall along with it.
Two out of every five people this year will face compromised information. A major portion of the hacked web sites that we see in our technical support department are due to weak passwords like ‘admin’ or ‘123456’. Do your part to not be affected by malicious activities by following these simple steps.
How to solve the weak password dilemma:
The first step is to create strong passwords for each account where valuable information is held. Surprisingly, a strong password does not need to be too complicated with symbols and number replacements. The ideal password is long; as long as you can make it.
For example:
If your password is: password – there are 8 place values with 95 different options equalling 95⁸ possible combinations (not to mention that anyone can guess it).
If your password is: pA55W0rd – there are still 8 place values with 95 different options equalling 95⁸ possible combinations.
But if your password is: mypasswordispassword – you have 20 place values to crack – at 95 options per place value – rather than only 8. This could make all the difference in a brute force attack.
The second step in ensuring that your information and websites are kept safe is to activate two-step verification wherever possible. Most email hosts, banks and some retailers will allow you to use a form of two-step verification; you’ll have to go through more than one layer of security to access your secure information.
The easiest way to activate two-step verification is through Google or Apple. To find out more visit this site for Google information and this site for Apple. By adding an extra layer of protection for your secure information you make it much harder for hackers to access.
For more information on account security visit our knowledge base or contact our technical support experts at Midphase.com