Whether we are shopping online, communicating with others, or doing anything else online, we often register accounts on many websites in order to continue using the services you offer. But all of these accounts have login information, including passwords, and this is how we protect our accounts; It is important that we protect them.
But what methods can you use to protect your passwords and which should you avoid?
Here are simple ways to protect your passwords:
Here are some easy ways to protect and store your passwords so you can access them anytime:
1- Use a password manager app:
Reports indicate that 60% of data breaches to date are due to weak passwords, and since the average number of passwords a person uses across different websites and services is 100, this is a very high number.
This is why security professionals often recommend password manager applications, as they help generate and automatically save unique passwords for each website or application you use. You can use it to store payment card details, passport information, and other sensitive data that you want to protect.
These apps are easy to install and use, and most of them require you to create an account. To get started, simply enter the details you want to save, click the Save button and the app will store your passwords securely.
2- Use an encrypted USB key:
In some cases, you can use any old USB drive to store passwords, official documents, and other important and sensitive files. However, keep in mind that this step puts all your data at risk because the USB drive is not encrypted and thus the stored files are immediately available. when connected to your computer. So if you store your password on a regular USB drive and you lose it or someone gains access to it, all your accounts are at risk.
For this reason, encrypted USB drives are a better choice because they are specifically designed to protect all information stored on them through encryption, backup, and other data protection methods. Because of their additional features, they tend to be more affordable than traditional USB drives. However, if you tend to store large amounts of sensitive data on USB drives, then purchasing an encrypted USB drive might be the right option for you. Your presence.
3- Make a backup:
If you lose all passwords stored in a password manager app or USB drive, you will lose access to your accounts and will have to change them all; Therefore, it is very important that you always have a way to create a secure backup of your data.
It can be the same way you saved your password the first time, or it can be different, for example: you can save your password using a password manager app and keep another copy on an encrypted USB drive. You can also keep a paper list of passwords. However, it is important to keep it in a safe place to prevent damage or theft.
In addition to the above methods, strong passwords must be chosen to protect data. Hackers usually obtain passwords by going through thousands or millions of possible password combinations until they find the correct password.
Typically, the time it takes to guess a password increases as it becomes more complex. Example: Using the password (Friday 112) is less secure than using the word (Friday @ 112) because of the added complexity of capital letters, periods, and symbols in the password. If you use letters, numbers, and symbols in your password, it can take years for them to be cracked.
Additionally, using personal information such as pet names and birthdays can make password cracking easier. Therefore, please ensure that the passwords you use do not contain any personal data.
Things to avoid with password security:
To protect your passwords, there are certain things you should avoid doing, such as:
- Using an insecure application to save data, such as: Notes application.
- Using an untrusted password manager.
- Using the same password repeatedly in several accounts, this is the biggest mistake that puts all your accounts at risk, because if one account is hacked, all accounts are likely to be hacked.