With so many online accounts, it can be difficult to generate and remember unique passwords for each one. Many of us are thus guilty of using weak or easy-to-guess passwords, or even using the same password across many accounts. These practices are easy but unsafe in the long run, and can put sensitive information in danger.
In this article, I’ll show you different ways to keep your passwords safe. Security failures have become more frequent, increasing the risk of being hacked. So it’s smart to do your best to safeguard your data.
How Can You Keep Your Passwords Safe?
Since passwords are the main way to authenticate and access control to computer systems and personal accounts, keeping them safe is crucial. Strong passwords limit the chance of unauthorized access, safeguard your sensitive data, and preserve the integrity of your data.
The following are some of the best techniques to keep your passwords safe:
Use a Password Manager
Using a password manager is one of the best ways to keep your passwords safe. A password manager is a software application that securely keeps and manages all of your passwords in one location. Additionally, it creates strong passwords for you and fills them in automatically when you connect into your accounts.
This means you won’t need to remember each password, and you’ll also be better able to make sure that each password is unique and safe. Here are a few good examples of trustworthy password managers: Bitwarden, LastPass, Dashlane.
Use a Strong Password
To keep your passwords safe and unpredictable, it’s critical to use a mix of upper and lower case letters, digits, and symbols when creating them. Also you should avoid using personal information like your name, age, or phone number.
Experts advise to include a minimum of eight characters in your password. Also, instead of using a password, consider using a passphrase, which is a lengthier string of words. Make sure this phrase is simple for you to remember but challenging for others to decipher.
They not only make it nearly impossible for hackers to access your device, but they also make it more difficult for offline thieves to access the private data saved on your phone.
Avoid Reusing Passwords
Using the same password across several accounts puts your password security at risk because if one account is compromised, all of your accounts are accessible.
As a result, to keep your passwords safe, it’s essential to make each account’s password distinct. As I’ve described above, a password manager can be an excellent solution if you have trouble remembering all of your passwords.
Enable Two-Factor Authentication
Two-factor authentication secures your accounts by requiring an additional authentication factor in addition to your password, such as a fingerprint scan or a one-time code delivered to your phone.
Without the second factor of authentication, even if someone guesses or hacks your password, they won’t be able to access your account. These are some good 2FA manager options to keep your passwords safe: Authy, Google Authenticator.
Change Passwords Regularly
It’s a good idea to update your passwords on a regular basis, at least once every three months, to keep your passwords safe. It’s considerably better for password security because it reduces the possibility of someone guessing or cracking your password.
If you use a password manager, it gets simpler to change your passwords on a regular basis.
Be Wary of Phishing Scams
Phishing schemes are fraudulent attempts to steal personal information such as usernames, passwords, and credit card information by impersonating a legitimate organization. Be wary of emails, messages, or phone calls requesting your login details or other personal information.
Before disclosing any personal information, always check the source’s legitimacy. This is important to keep your passwords safe.
Lock Up Your Phone
This one should be obvious, but I’ll mention it nonetheless. Set up a difficult-to-crack password as soon as you obtain a new device, whether it’s a tablet or a smartphone. Also make sure to enable device lock (turn the screen off at all times). Adjust the phone’s settings to have it lock automatically after a certain period of inactivity if you find this inconvenient for any reason.
To conclude, it’s important to keep your passwords safe since they’re the key to your user accounts, sensitive information, and personal information. You can keep your passwords safe and lessen the risk of your accounts being hacked or compromised by following the tips I’ve provided in this guide.
If you need more ideas to safeguard your data, check out our iPhone and Android security guides.