Passwords - Simplifying Yet Keeping Your Online Accounts Safe and Secure

In today's digital world, we use passwords on our mobile devices, and also to create accounts to subscribe to a myriad of services on the internet. 

Personal accounts on the internet are being constantly breached or hacked. Sometimes it is not even the fault of your own, as services providers you subscribe to have their databases compromised.

How do you gain access to all your accounts easily yet keeping your passwords safe and secure?

ReSearch

Understanding Security Breaches

• What is a Data Breach by Wikipedia - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Data_breach
• What is a Data Breach by Forbes - https://www.forbes.com/sites/nicolemartin1/2019/02/25/what-is-a-data-breach/

Knowing If Your Account is Compromised

• See List of data breaches - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_data_breaches
• Visualization of the World's Biggest Data Breaches and Hacks - https://www.informationisbeautiful.net/visualizations/worlds-biggest-data-breaches-hacks/ 
• Keep Abreast on News regarding Data Breaches
• https://www.databreachtoday.com/

How to Keep Your Passwords Safe and Secure

• 10 Things to Do in Order to Keep Your Password Safe Even If Your Phone Is Stolen - https://www.logmeonce.com/blog/consumer/keep-password-safe/
• 10 Things to Avoid to Keep your Password Safe https://www.dummies.com/education/internet-basics/10-things-to-avoid-to-keep-your-password-safe/
• A Guide to Keeping Your Password Secure - https://techengage.com/password-security-guide/

Understanding How Hackers Work/ How accounts can be Breached

• Hacking Techniques
• About Hackers - https://computer.howstuffworks.com/hacker.htm
• Phishing Scams - https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/how-recognize-and-avoid-phishing-scams
• Poor Password Hygiene
• Cracking Simple Passwords - Generally, the more characters your password has, the longer it takes for hackers to crack. 
• Guessing your Passwords - Don't use family members' names, birthdates, pet names, or catchphrases that you use often.
• Observing you keying in your password - Someone sitting behind you on the bus or the cafe can observe you keying in your password to your email and note it down. 
• Finding out where you write down/store your passwords - Some people write down their passwords on paper, or in an unencrypted file on your computer. 

Practical Solutions

Change your Passwords to a Strong, Complex yet Memorable Passphrase 

• Tips
• Use as many characters as you can – 15-30 characters long.
• Create phrases containing several unrelated words that have a meaning only to you. 
• Include a combo of symbols, numbers and uppercase and lowercase letters. Instead of passwords, think of them as passphrases. 
• Use password calculators that estimate the approximate time hackers and thieves need to crack your passphrase.
• Example: Adam!bRownzheN28 (adam !  brown zhen 28)

Use Password Tools and Services

• Setting up Password Sync and Auto Sign-Ins on Your Browsers
• For Chrome
• Chrome Sync Settings - https://chrome.google.com/sync
• Password Sync Across All your Devices - https://support.google.com/accounts/answer/6197437
• Password Managers
• See List of Paid - https://proprivacy.com/password-manager/comparison/best-password-managers
• Password Generators
• https://passwordsgenerator.net/
• Password Testing
• https://howsecureismypassword.net/
• https://www.my1login.com/resources/password-strength-test/
• Password Scanners
• https://www.passwordboss.com/dark-web-scan/

Conducting Regular Security Checks/ Ensure Password Hygiene

• Check for updates on security breaches
• via email
• via pop-ups on your browser 
• via announcements when logging into your accounts
• Do a Security Check on Your Accounts
• For Google Users - https://myaccount.google.com/
• Change Passwords Regularly
• Use Different passwords for different services. A password manager can do this.
• Ensure Devices are Wiped when you no longer use them

Don't Leave any Unsecured or Unnecessary Electronic Trail 

• Do not write down or store password information anywhere
• When subscribing to new services and apps that you are not sure of,  do not use your official email to do so, it is good to have a secondary email to do this. 
• Unsubscribe from services you no longer need
• Do not share your password to anyone, especially over email.

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