As technology continues to improve each day, so are the chances that your e-mail or other accounts will be compromised. This is why you need to make sure you’re taking the necessary precautions to prevent any of your credentials from being hacked.
Here are a few steps that can help keep your information safe:
1. Keep changing your password frequently.
Now when I say “frequently,” I don’t mean you need to change it every single week. I would say every three to six months would be a good timeframe to change the password just to be on the safe side. The reason why I say this is because of recent information being leaked on the Internet that contained more than 26,000 accounts with their passwords. Changing your password regularly is vital in making sure that no one will be able to access your account.
2. Make your passwords as confusing as possible.
For example, just don’t have your password be your last name with a number attached to it. That will make it far too obvious for hackers and they will be able to access all of your accounts at a blink of an eye. Make it something that NO ONE would expect you to keep as your password, such as a random assortment of characters and numbers. Now, I know it may be hard to keep track of different accounts with jumbled passwords but you’ve got to go the extra mile in making sure your info is safe!
3. Make a private file with multiple account information.
This may seem kind of silly but trust that you will thank me later when you are unable to retain your password information when you need it the most. Make a folder on your computer somewhere that you know you will always be able to get back to and make a text file named something other than “passwords”. For example, you can call it “grocery list” and put all your account information in there. There are also other third party applications that keep a database of your passwords but those may be risky to use as well. As long as it is in an inconspicuous place on your computer, you will be fine.
Over the past few months there have been a number of security breaches by a hacker group that has caused people to start paying more attention to their private information. This group has infiltrated organizations such as the PlayStation Online Network, Sony, and even larger ones such as the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). In this day and age where sensitive personal info can be leaked at ANY moment, being on top of your account information will help you out in the long run.
