Strong passwords for your digital accounts define the line of defence against cyberattacks. How proactive have you been while securing your passwords? Do you use the same password in your social media accounts, bank accounts, or other online accounts? Well, that isn’t the way experts specializing in computer repairs Frankston would recommend you to do. While getting your account hacked is the last thing to expect, it makes sense to adhere to professional guidelines while configuring passwords.
How do cyber criminals obtain account passwords?
Have you ever wondered how you end up compromising your passwords in the first place? Here’s how online criminals get your passwords.
- You may click on a phishing link, which passes on your account details and passwords to the attacker.
- Choosing weak passwords makes your account susceptible to hacks.
- Cybercriminals inject malware into your system to track keystrokes. Using keyloggers, they get to know your passwords.
- Human errors often lead to the loss of passwords. However, cybercriminals use sophisticated technology as well to steal account passwords.
- Breach of online databases owned by companies also leads to cybercriminals.
How can you secure your passwords against online theft?
Now that you know how cybercriminals access your passwords, here’s what you can do to boost online security.
- Make your passwords unique
Do you find it challenging to remember multiple passwords for different accounts? Maybe this is the reason you are more susceptible to online attacks. With most online services, you might be pairing your email address which has a specific password. Once this password gets leaked, you might find multiple accounts compromised.
The secret to securing your accounts is to configure unique passwords for each account. This way, you won’t lose all your accounts even if one of them gets hacked.
- Use a password manager
Have you considered the number of online accounts you own? The encompasses shopping apps, online banking apps, social media accounts, government services software, and much more. The more tech-savvy you are, the greater number of passwords you need to manage.
Naturally, you end up using a few common passwords to manage all these accounts. This is where a password management app comes to play. These tools create robust and secure passwords for you and even store them. So, you neither have to create nor remember these passwords. For easier access, you can sync this system across multiple devices.
- Use multi-factor authentication
Using multi-factor authentication (MFA) further secures your accounts against online theft. With this mechanism in place, someone trying to log into your account would have to verify their identity. This requires the individual to furnish a code that is sent to your email or phone through SMS. Unless the person has access to your device, it won’t be possible to provide this code. Therefore, MFA significantly strengthens your online accounts in addition to strong passwords.
With MFA you would take slightly more time to log into your accounts. Even when you try to log in, you would be required to verify your identity by furnishing the codes. However, you can rest assured that even if the attacker knows your password, no one can forcefully get into your account.
In case your account has been hacked, or you need to secure your device, reach out to the experts offering Frankston computer repairs. With professional support, you will be able to secure your passwords with adequate technical support.
