Keeping Your Accounts Safe With Password Safety

Criminals don’t take a holiday, and neither should your security strategy. Due to the annual surge in the number of hacks, scams and data breaches that occur this time of year, it’s crucial that you take steps to protect your most valuable asset – your personal and business identity.

Data Breaches and Hacks Can Affect Anyone

Internet hacks and data breaches have been plaguing individuals, businesses and industries for the last decade. From Twitter and LinkedIn (between the two, 150 million people had their email addresses and passwords nabbed) to IMUGR (1.7 million users compromised), even using social media can pose a security risk. 57 million Uber passengers and drivers weren’t safe and even credit information giant Equifax suffered a data breach that compromised the personal information of 143 million people. Unfortunately for individuals, businesses and online companies, you have to be vigilant to keep criminals from making off with the key to your online protection — your password.

Common Data Breach Tactics

Hackers can be quite clever in their efforts to obtain access to your accounts. A common hacking method aimed at individuals and businesses involves email “phishing”. This scam involves a user receiving a seemingly legitimate email from a known company or vendor — but one actually composed and formulated by the hacker — which will ask the recipient to reset or verify their current password. When the recipient clicks on the link and inputs their password, the hacker uses the password provided to access that user’s real account.

According to Verizon’s 2016 Executive Summary, 30% of phishing email recipients open them and a further 12% click on the link. Clicking links won’t just result in your password being stolen — it is also the means many hackers use to install malware onto your system, which can extract sensitive information.

Biometrics Aren’t Hacker-Proof

It’s hard not to be overwhelmed with the sheer number of passwords, security questions and protocols we have to juggle on a daily basis. While the tech allure of biometrics, such as fingerprint, retinal, and even heartbeat scans, are the things that science fiction-laden dreams are made of, they have still have significant vulnerabilities that can lead to irreparable account damage. Think of it this way, a password can be changed when the next big box data breach occurs, but once a personal biometric, such as your fingerprint, is hacked by a cyber criminal, you’ve lost access to using your fingerprint for any account in the future; you can’t simply replace your fingers, eyes, or heartbeat. And what’s even worse, biometrics identify a unique individual, which will allow cyber criminals to specifically trace you. In order to ensure protection from identity theft in conjunction with the use of biometrics, a password would need to be made a requirement for the account.

Password management is also a critical step, even when using biometrics on mobile devices. It sounds secure and convenient using your unique fingerprint to easily order groceries online, withdraw money, or buy a new laptop, yet, just one day after Apple’s Touch ID system was launched, hackers were able to gain access to a device by photographing a fingerprint found on the phone’s screen.

A Strong Password Is Your Best Defense

The reality is that no matter how secure, no system is impenetrable. Password strength is a critical component, though. Verizon’s Executive Summary found that weak, default or stolen passwords were responsible for 63% of confirmed data breaches. After LinkedIn’s breach it was discovered that the most popular password was “123456”, with 1.1 million users. Avoiding novice password errors can send hackers looking for an easier target. To protect all your digital accounts from email, digital stores and bank accounts, follow these password selection tips:

• Change your passwords regularly. Security experts recommend choosing new passwords every three months.
• While your account may require only six characters, it is recommended to select passwords containing more than 14 characters.
• Your password should contain at least one capital letter and special character.
• Don’t share passwords. Using one overall password isn’t ultra-secure if someone hacks it and gains access to all your accounts at once.
• Avoid password management tools. Keeping all your passwords under one roof is like keeping the keys to your car, home and safety deposit box all accessible with one key. If someone gains access to your password management tool, you’re essentially gift-wrapping access to your personal accounts.
• Avoid using your address, birthday or basic abc123-type combinations.
• Create a memorable passphrase that you can visualize. For example, “3Giraffeseattofu@park.

Keep your holidays happy by making sure your personal information and account access doesn’t become a gift to a third-party hacker. Update your passwords and strengthen them to ensure your data is protected during the busiest shopping season of the year.