In the previous artice , we presented a few rules to minimize the threat of so-called "Phishing" attack. Today, we would like to draw your attention to something extremely important in the context of securing your own data, which is creating and maintaining strong passwords.
Here are a few simple rules that will help you adopt good password practices and increase your online security.
1. Never use words, phrases, or combinations of numbers that refer directly to you in any way. Date of birth, the name of a beloved pet or a wedding anniversary are easy to obtain, so using them to secure an email box or social media account makes it easier for criminals to break the security.
2. Never use the same password for different accounts or services, because a leak from one database or a stolen password will give access to all your accounts protected by the same security word.
3. The password should be long. Very often, forms require a password of at least eight characters. We recommend even longer passwords, with a minimum of twelve characters. This makes it much more difficult to break, especially if we take the next point to heart.
4. A strong password should be resistant to so-called dictionary attacks, i.e. we should not use phrases that are easy to find by security crackers. Our suggestion is to use numbers and special characters instead of some letters. Choose a long phrase that is easy to remember, as an example we will use the phrase month_october (note that we have already used one special character). Instead of the letter "o", use the number zero. So now we have m0nth_0ct0ber (still easy to remember, harder and harder to break), The password already contains a special character and numbers. A very common requirement is the use of uppercase and lowercase letters. Use them in a place that's easy to remember. Let's try this: m0ntH_0ct0beR (uppercase letter at the end of each word) - so we have a password with 13 characters, uppercase and lowercase letters, a special character, and numbers, all the ingredients that make up a secure, strong password.
5. Use two-step verification when possible. If your password is stolen or compromised, there is a second level of verification that will prevent criminals from accessing your data. The most common forms of two-step verification are:
- verification by a randomly generated code sent in the form of an SMS
- an app on your phone that generates a random code to authorize access
- additional authorization by scanning your fingerprint or scanning your face
According to Microsoft, two-step verification reduces the chances of your security being compromised by 99%.
