With so much of our personal and financial information online, it’s more important than ever for us to make sure it’s safe. But in many cases, the only thing standing between our private data and criminals are the passwords we use every day.
Unfortunately for a lot of us, the passwords we rely on are surprisingly weak. With multiple accounts and passwords, many settle for easy-to-remember passwords that include common identifiers like birthdays or pet names; while others are as simple as “123456.”
But if a password is that easy to remember, it’s that easy to guess. And with four out of five hacking breaches linked to weak passwords, it’s never been more important to create stronger passwords. Fortunately, creating strong passwords is easier than you think.
6 steps to stronger, safer, more secure passwords
1. Use passphrases or longer passwords:
Passphrases are word strings that are easy to remember, but impossible to guess. You can also strengthen passwords just by adding letters. A 6-letter password, for instance, has 300 million combinations, while a 7-letter password has 8 billion.
2. Don't share passwords:
Even sharing a streaming password, for instance, can leave your finances vulnerable since your account could link to payment information.
3. Don’t write passwords down:
Whether on a stickie note, in a notebook or a file on your computer, writing down passwords makes them all vulnerable.
4. Never reuse passwords:
Half of all people use the same password across multiple accounts, but if hackers crack one, they’re cracked them all, putting more of your data at risk.
5. Protect yourself with technology:
Password managers can generate stronger passwords, auto fill passwords on login and store your passwords, while enabling Multifactor Authentication can block 99.9% of all password-related breaches.
6. Change your password after a breach:
If your accounts are breached, change your passwords immediately and check all your accounts for unusual activity.
Demonstrating the value of strong, smart passwords is another way Credit Union ONE is helping to protect you, your data and your finances.