World Password Day
World Password Day takes place every on the first Thursday of May. this day aims to remind people of the importance of managing their passwords online.
Now is the ideal time to change to more secure passwords. Passwords act as a key to vital pieces of personal data, including name, birthdate, home address, phone number and credit card details. Personal Data can be used by criminals to steal identities. Therefore password security is crucial since your profile’s personal information is secured by them.
The benefits of changing your password cannot be underestimated as your computer stores and provide access to a lot of sensitive information. It is recommended that you should change your passwords every 90 days. Did you know 81% of company data breaches are due to poor passwords?
Securing passwords is the first step in protecting your data. Your first line of defence against cyberattacks is a strong password policy.
Why it’s important to change your password
- Prevents Multiple Account Breaches
Using the same passwords across multiple accounts online can be tempting, as it is much easier to remember just one password. However, this is not a smart idea. If someone manages to find out your password you have now given them access to all your online accounts. Creating unique passwords for each account ensures you are protected, and if someone does guess one password they will not be able to use it for any of your other accounts.
- Stops Constant Access
When a hacker gains access to your account they are most likely going to continue accessing it. They do this to monitor your data or to continue stealing your private information online. Someone may have access to your account right now and you don’t even know it. This is why it is so important to change your password on a regular basis. Additionally, this will reduce the risk of hackers having frequent access to your account.
- Avoid Misuse of Save Passwords
Saving passwords to our phone or computer cloud is something we all love, so we don’t have to worry about remembering multiple passwords. However, this can end up badly if you ever switch computers with someone or if you give someone an old computer without wiping and resetting the drive. They will now have access to your saved passwords and will be able to access your accounts online. So changing your passwords means that if they find your saved passwords, they will no longer be valid as you will have updated them.
- Passwords give access to personal information
Once a hacker has your password and access to your accounts. These accounts hold a lot of sensitive personal information, such as your home address, bank details, phone number etc, which they could use.
- Prevents Access gained by Keystroke Loggers
A keystroke logger is a surveillance technology used to store keystrokes and this is frequently used to steal credit card information and login credentials. Therefore changing passwords makes it less likely that passwords stored will be useful.
When you should Definitely Change your password
1. After a Security Breach.
2. If You Suspect Unauthorised Access
3. If You Discover Malware or virus Software
4. After logging into a Public Network
5. If you haven’t used an account in a long time
How to Create a Strong Password
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- 1. Don’t include your name, date or year of birth (personal info)
- 2. Don’t include sequential numbers or letters such as; 123, 2468, or ABC.
- 3. Make the password long – over 8 characters.
- 4. Include Letters, Numbers and Symbols.
- 5. Combine unrelated words- don’t use popular phrases from movies or songs.
- 6. Do not reuse your password for other accounts.
- 7. Use two-factor authentication.
As the digital age grows, there is an infinite amount of personal information available, and with this comes security risks. Tech companies have introduced 2-factor authentication to prevent breaches. However, they have also introduced password managers and saved password features to aid users online.
Unfortunately, this is making it easier for hackers to access accounts and gain personal information. So now more than ever it is important to follow these tips and change your password on a regular basis.
Check out the rest of our Blogs for more online tips and tricks.
