CyberSecurity Tip: Use Unique Passwords

Changing your password for different websites is a crucial step in protecting your information. Imagine that you have an account with only FIVE different websites: Google, Yahoo, Facebook, Microsoft, and Amazon. On each of these websites, you use the same strong and complicated password, something liek U>wi928ZFP%cjr!.  Maybe you’ve even memorized the password, however complicated it might be.

The Hack

Imagine that one day, one of those five providers experiences a hack. The company, though taking many precautions, has left your information vulnerable. The hackers now have access to each user’s:

• Login ID
• Email address
• Password
• Password hints/security questions

And now they have access to your account on the service that was hacked.

But that’s not all.

Vulnerability

That same information you’ve used to log in to the hacked website is the same information you use to log in to the other four. In fact, most people have accounts on one or more of the major services above. A hacker will know this, and attempt to use the information on more accounts. And very often, they are successful. A security breach on one website can exponentially affect your online security.

Protect Yourself

By using the same password on all of your accounts, you put all of those accounts at risk.

Avoid this by:

• Using long, strong passwords, of at least twelve characters, randomly generated.
• Use a different password for every single account you have.
• Use a password manager like LastPass to keep track of them all for you.
• Enable two-factor authentication when it’s available.