Top Password Security Hacks You Should Know If You Have a Computer

Written by: Sarah Keene of The Tech Fools

It is embarrassing to know that, from data obtained in a password leak, 123456 was the most commonly used password. That was only seconded by other picks such as ‘p@ssword, password, iloveyou’ and more no-brainer attempts. It is, thus, little wonder why hackers have a field day with a lot of breaches. You should not be caught out on the password front in any other breach, though.

Try These Password Security Hacks

Here are some password security hacks for you to try out today.

Trust the Password More

The fact that your device has alternative forms of login (from fingerprints to audio recognition) doesn’t mean your password should be an afterthought. Remember that if the device falls into the wrong hands, the hacker will be more concerned about the password instead.

Choosing Something Secure

But we cannot always trust ourselves to choose an unbiased password, free from pet names, birthdays, and such other telling details. That is why you should use an online, random password generator to come up with secure strings of text.

Save Them Better

There is no use for the strongest passwords if they will be shared with everyone. Since you cannot always memorize these passwords, it is best to install a password manager to keep them safe. That way, you have all of your secure logins in one place.

One Password, One Account

This is yet another fine argument for having a password manager handy. Since you should have one password for every account and go with the password generator model, you will need one of these apps to keep all of your logins in one place.

Enable MFA

Multi-factor authentication, as the name implies, puts an extra layer of security on your account. Now, not only is the password enough to gain access to your account, the user will need access to your 2FA device (which is usually your phone) to get the one-time code that would grant access. The good thing here is that getting a 2FA code when you are not trying to log in alerts you to a password breach.

That’s Not All

Securing your passwords is a great place to start, but they don’t do it all. Combine the tips above with these:

• Install Security Apps
  • Most users here already know why they need anti-malware on their units. The most common pick is an antivirus, and it works quite well too.
  • A firewall is equally important. Likewise, consider subscribing to a VPN service to keep your network connection secure, encrypt the data you transmit online, and prevent doxxing, browser fingerprinting, and such other attacks.

• Prevent External Drive Access
  • …especially when the drives are not from trusted entities.
  • There is simply a lot of malware that such drives could inject onto your computer and execute in the background without every knowing.

• Get Backed Up
  • Above all, always keep a backup of your important files. We recommend an online and offline backup for the best effect.

Get Started Today

Right now, even. There are tons of breaches happening every second, and you don’t want to fall in the victim bracket. Get started with these tips, and you stand a better chance of warding these cybersecurity attacks off.