Passwords are fickle things. A weak password is simple to remember yet terrible for an account’s security. On the other hand, a strong password can keep even the most seasoned cybercriminals out of your account, but remembering that password is difficult, if not outright impossible.
Many users opt for convenience over security, hence why the most common passwords are passwords that can be easily guessed—things like “123456” and “password.” Creating strong, unique passwords is common sense and something you should be doing if you are not already. But are there any other ways to protect your accounts besides making a strong password?
How to Secure Your Accounts:
Two-Factor Authentication:
Once a hacker knows the ID and password to an account, all that’s left for them to do is log in. It’s that simple—it has been for years. Companies have begun offering two-factor authentication (2FA) for users to reduce the number of hacked accounts, but what exactly is two-factor authentication, and why should you use it?
2FA involves the use of temporary passcodes to verify the identity of the person attempting to log in. These passcodes are sent to the account holder’s phone number, email, or linked app (Authy, for instance). Hence, if a hacker attempts to log in to your account but doesn’t have access to either of those three things, they will be unable to access your account. That is why you should use 2FA on any account that supports it.
Random Password Generators:
Cooking up a strong, unique password for all of your accounts is easier said than done. After all, you don’t want your passwords to contain predictable patterns or be too similar. If you want to create strong passwords with ease, you need to use a random password generator.
Password generators are easy to find. Even major corporations like Google offer their own password generators for their users, so there’s really no excuse not to use them. And if you find that your new passwords are too difficult to remember, you can always use a password manager to store your passwords securely.
More Ways to Secure Your Online Activities:
Using a VPN:
Encryption is key to keeping your data out of the hands of cybercriminals, along with other third parties that would profit off your data, such as ISPs and advertisers. But how does one encrypt their online activity? The answer is by using a VPN.
It’s simple: connect to a VPN, and your data will be encrypted automatically. This encryption will prevent any third party—from cybercriminals to the government itself—from stealing your data.
Stick to Privacy-Oriented Browsers:
Google Chrome may be the most popular browser in the world, but it’s definitely not the most secure. Not by a long shot. If you care about your privacy (which you should), then you need to start using a browser that respects your privacy. Fortunately, you’re not short on options: Brave, DuckDuckGo, Firefox, etc.
These browsers offer more privacy options to users and take extra measures to ensure total security and privacy while using them. They’re not perfect, but no piece of software is. However, they are fantastic for the privacy-conscious!
Conclusion:
Weak password security has resulted in many internet users losing access to their accounts and suffering from data breaches. Start protecting your accounts with not only strong passwords but other tools and programs that will tighten up security on your device(s).
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