Over the last few weeks, several major social platforms have experienced security breaches due to easily hacked passwords. Breaches such as these are not new and it seems as if no matter how sophisticated we become with our use of technology, our password savviness is lacking. A recent article from PC World revealed the top 25 most frequently used passwords include 123456, password, qwerty, abc123, letmein and 111111.
A strong password is the first step to protecting your information. If your password is compromised, personal information could be revealed which in turn can lead to unauthorized access by others to sensitive sites including financial accounts. The domino effect can ultimately lead to identity theft. OKStateU requires a University email and password to gain access. Making that password safe and secure is up to you. Here are 7 tips from Information Week to help you minimize your risk of hacking:
1. Don’t use obvious choices such as “linkedin” or “email” or some variation for respective platforms.
2. Use unique passwords for each account. Using the same password for multiple accounts will increase your risk of being hacked on multiple sites if security is breached on a single account.
3. Use a combination of alpha, numeric and non-alpha characters for the strongest passwords. Random words strung together can be strong passwords but avoid commonly used phrases.
5. Don’t use your own personal data such as your birthdate, family member or pet names or other information which can be easily discovered. The same goes for the answers to password reset questions.
6. Use long passwords. The longer it is, the more difficult it will be to attack.
7. Use a password manager to help you generate and keep up with all your passwords. There are some great free and paid options out there. Apparently Ford (the automobile company) has come up with a pretty nifty chrome extension involving blue tooth technology. Make sure the one you choose has good encryption technology.