How Secure is your Password
The biggest problem with passwords is that we need so many of them in order to activate a variety of security-related applications such as banking, access to electronic equipment and accessories. So invariably, we take the easy option by creating easy passwords or use the same password for multiple accounts to make our lives easier.
And make the lives of hackers easier too.
An experienced hacker can crack an eight-character password of just lower-case letters in about 10 minutes. However, if you use a 15-character password with uppercase and lowercase letters, and combine it with numbers and symbols, it will take a hacker 47 000 years to crack that password.
Beware single sign-on -
Using single sign-on offered by Facebook or Google might be convenient, but it makes you more vulnerable to online fraud. All a hacker needs to do is to hack one password to access any linked account.
Seven ways to practice good password management -
? Create different passwords for every account.
? Make your password at least 15 characters long. Use upper and lower-case letters and include numbers and symbols.
? Never use information in your password that can easily be found online, like your date of birth or recovery questions.
? Use offline password managers like KeePass. Avoid online password managers – these are risky and can be hacked.
? Enable second-factor authentication for as many online accounts as possible. When you enter your username and password, you will get a one-time PIN on your phone to log into your account.
? Don’t store passwords on your computer, phone or tablet. Many devices will back up your data to your cloud account. If your
cloud account is hacked, cyber-criminals will have access to all the passwords that you have saved to the device.
? Never save passwords when prompted by your browser. Enter your username and password every time you visit the site.
Top Tip -
Consider a ‘passphrase’ when creating a password. For example, '1nvestec 1s the best bank in the World!' – the phrase is created with a strong combination of upper case and lower case letters, numbers and symbols, and will be easier to remember.