The digital world is increasingly becoming an important part of our lives. Through the Internet we are able to connect with loved ones, make financial transactions and even communicate. Each of these functions is serviced by an app that makes the whole process easier, but each app requires a certain level of security – in most cases – this is a password.
No matter if it’s for banking, dating or social media apps; a password is often needed to access your profile. Interestingly, credentials for work is the least forgotten password – according to an ExpressPN survey. This can be attributed to the fact that employees are inclined to input this data more frequently than other passwords, but despite what you may think, the most forgotten password is for banking apps – arguably the most important password to remember!
Another issue a lot of people have is that they reuse the same password across different accounts which is dangerous in case one account is hacked or compromised in any way. To avoid these issues, here’s how to make your passwords more secure
1. Use unique passwords
For better security, it is important to use a unique password for each account. This is crucial because if say one account password is hacked, the rest of your accounts would be safe.
Avoid using common words in your passwords such as inclusion of your name, name of the town you live in, names of family members etc. It is also advisable to use longer passwords filled with uncommon words. People who can speak more than language can mix up different words in different languages to come up with more secure passwords. A mix of letters (lower and uppercase), numbers and special characters is best to make your passwords more secure.
2. Use two factor authentication
Two factor authentication provides an extra layer of protection used to ensure the security of your digital accounts beyond just a username and password. It is therefore essential to turn on two factor authentication on all platforms that you are using.
Using two factor authentication will help you secure your account and will help you recover your account in case your account is compromised.
3. Use a password manager
A lot of people tend to use the same password across different accounts because they tend to forget them. To solve this problem, it is advisable to use a password manager to store passwords securely so that you can easily access them when you require them.
The password manager just needs one password that also needs to be secure and memorable, so that you don’t forget it. Make sure to follow the advice in 1 above to come up with a secure password.
4. Avoid using insecure networks
To further protect your online identity, ensure that you don’t log in to your accounts when using insecure networks, such as public Wi-Fi. Using such networks makes your accounts vulnerable to attack. If you have to use public Wi-Fi, for some reason, make sure that you use a VPN.
5. Check for compromised accounts
Use online services such as haveibeenpwned.com to check if any of your accounts have been compromised. You can then change the passwords of the compromised accounts and ensure that your account is secure.
In the digital world that we are living in, it is imperative that we secure our online accounts. This is to ensure that no one steals your identity online and you are able to exist and be secure online without interference.
What other ways do you use to secure your accounts? Let us know in the comments.