Most of the accounts we create are usually secured by a password. This password is something only you or your organization knows, and it is only with this password you can access the information that you deem important. What someone wants to protect using a password may vary from person to person. While someone might be protecting their bank details, others might want to protect their purchase history, watch history, or home address. But are these passwords we create really secure? We live in a day and age where password security is very important because we store pretty much everything online. You do everything online, be it logging into your email accounts, bank accounts, social media platforms, online forums, shopping websites, ott platforms. The list only goes on! I mean, think about it, how many accounts do you have online? There’s a lot, right? You will see that there are various platforms out there with passwords securing them. Even websites that give you daily news ask you to create an account with a password. This is because protecting your private data is essential, and there are so many password-protected sites out there. And, of course, we create accounts with passwords every time we are asked. But, with so many password-protected accounts, we might find it tedious to remember all of them. So, a lot of us tend to use the same password for a variety of sites to make it a bit easier for our brains. If that isn’t the case then most of us, more often than not, set passwords that will contain the names of family members, nicknames, dates of birth, and other easily identifiable information. You might think this is a safe password, but it isn’t. Passwords like that have very poor security. This approach is far from keeping your password safe because it is very risky and in reality, leaves many of us vulnerable to being hacked. You must have heard news where hackers hack several accounts, right? That’s because most of them guess what the password might be. Yes, hackers do have a range of tools at their disposal, but they always try to guess the password because it is the easiest and thus the most frequently used method to gain access to an account. Did you know that we all make it way too easy for hackers to hack our accounts? We do this by making simple and easy-to-guess passwords! “123456” is still (unfortunately) the most commonly used password throughout the world. Did you also know that there are common passwords around the world? These passwords provide little to no protection whatsoever and only enable hackers to hack our devices. Advanced hackers will even use specialist software that allows them to test thousands of possible username and password combinations. And because 60% of us humans use the same username and password for all our accounts, hackers can gain access to not one account, but all the other accounts they have created as well. And you might think that hackers can’t do anything by accessing your Facebook account. That isn’t the case. They can use it to commit identity fraud, sell information to third-party criminals, or simply clear out bank accounts and never be seen again. Thus creating a strong and secure password is essential in protecting your online identity. Secure passwords also ensure that we don’t become easy targets for hackers. Don’t worry, though, because we are here to help. Written below are the 6 best ways to Improve Password Security.
6 Tips To Improve Password Security
1. Create Unique Passwords
What makes a password unique is this simple secret. Make it memorable but difficult to crack! When you create a strong password it should be between 10-18 characters long. Make sure that this password is a mix of lowercase and uppercase letters and includes numbers or symbols. Something like [email protected] Notice how it uses letters (both uppercase and lowercase), numbers, and symbols? But if you want to make it even more secure, you can maybe create a phrase that is unique to you, like an inside joke. All you have to do is make sure that the words you use are around 15 characters long. And to make it secure, use uppercase for the first letter of each word and try to substitute letters with numbers and symbols.
2. Don’t Ever Use The Same Password For Different Accounts
Yes, it can be a bit of hard work to remember all those passwords for every online account you create. Thus, it can be tempting to use the same password for multiple accounts. In fact, 53% of people admit that they use the same passwords across accounts. Nevertheless, this is extremely risky behavior. I mean, think about it, if the hackers can work out just one of your passwords, be it the password of your Pinterest account or your online banking details, they can potentially access every other online account you have. So, it is always best to never use the same password for different accounts. This will ensure that your data remains safe and secure.
3. Maybe Use A Password Manager
Passwords should be memorable for the individual but difficult for an attacker to guess. But because using the same password everywhere isn’t exactly a good thing, it can be a difficult task to try and remember all the different passwords you had to create. That’s where password managers come to help. Password managers will give you an encrypted and centralized location where you can keep a record of all the different passwords. There are some password managers out there that store your login details for different websites. This way, whenever you want to log in to a particular account, the password manager will automatically log you in. You might be wondering if the password manager in and itself is secure. I mean, if someone gets a hold of your password manager, they get a hold of all your other accounts. Well, the first thing you do when you get a Password Manager is, create a Master Password. You have no choice but to remember this password. But isn’t that better than trying to remember 50+ different passwords? But keep in mind that the password has to be as strong and secure as possible. Also, if you want to use a password manager, please go through different reviews and only start using it when you feel like it is completely safe.
4. Always Update Your Passwords
It is always safe to update your passwords regularly. This is a method to ensure that your online accounts always remain safe and secure. Please keep in mind that if you continue to use the same password for a long time, it will considerably increase the chance of your account being hacked. If you find it hard, then maybe change a few elements of the password rather than change your full password. You can maybe change characters, and numbers, add symbols or reverse the use of uppercase or lowercase letters. For example, if your password was @Thousandt1mes0ver, maybe change it to @1000TimesOver. Thus, it is the same password written differently. If you feel like one of your accounts has been compromised, it is advised that you immediately change the password to something completely different so that it doesn’t happen again.
5. Use Two-Factor Authentication
This is an asset that everyone should use. Two-factor authentication offers an extra layer of security in protecting and defending your account from potential hackers. Two-Factor authentication comes in a range of different sites. Once you register and enable two-factor authentication, you can log in to your accounts and enter your username and password. As soon as you click on the login button, the two-factor authentication site will send a code to your phone, which you must enter into the device you are trying to log in. Only after that will you be able to access your account. Enabling two-factor authentication reduces the chance of hackers being able to gain easy access to your accounts. Thus, you can improve password security.
6. Use A VPN
A VPN is a virtual private network. Most of you must have heard of it. I mean, haven’t all of us seen ads on YouTube saying that if you want to watch movies that are not streamed in your country, then a VPN can help you do just that? Well, while that is true, VPNs aren’t just that. Let me tell you how a VPN works. When you use a VPN, your internet connection is rerouted through a private server. This way, the VPN acts as an intermediary. That means your IP address (your device’s unique ID) is masked and that your identity is protected. Thus, any personal data you send or create while connected to a VPN is automatically encrypted. They are also transmitted as unreadable codes. This way, your Internet Service Provider will not be able to see what websites you are visiting, what apps you are using, or any other data you will be sending or receiving. A VPN not only protects you on public WiFi, offers online anonymity, and lets you access geo-blocked content but also protects your password, thus helping you improve password security. But please make sure that you use a trusted VPN service.
Closing Thoughts – Improve Password Security
Here’s hoping that this article helped you in realizing how important it is to secure your password. We highly recommend you follow these tips to secure your password because if you do, you won’t ever have to worry about your privacy being breached or your data being stolen. Now that we know the best ways to improve password security, let’s stay safe and attack those attackers, shall we? Did you guys find this article helpful? Do you guys know other ways to improve password security? Do you understand the importance of password security? What methods do you use to improve password security? Let us know in the comments below!
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