Passwords have become a vital part of our lives. You need passwords for pretty much everything – whether it’s your email, your bank account, online shopping, or anything else with your confidential information.
And so, if passwords get into the wrong hands, it could be disastrous. Unfortunately, most of us tend to use weaker passwords – or even same passwords for all the different accounts – making us vulnerable to cyber attacks.
In a bid to create awareness, NordPass Publishers recently revealed the 50 most vulnerable passwords of 2021. In other words, those passwords that can be easily hacked. If your password is listed below, it’s high time you change it. Read on for some useful tips on strengthening your security.
Why do we need strong passwords?
Passwords are secret characters used to grant access and confirm the account owner’s identity. The stronger your password credentials, the less vulnerable you are from the attack of hackers and malicious software. If you do not have a strong password, you are susceptible to identity thefts and financial frauds.
How do you set a strong password?
No password is 100 percent secure but you can always create passwords that are extremely difficult to hack.
For one, do not use any personal information such as your address, phone number, birthdate, or any information which is easily available on your social media networking sites.
A minimum of eight characters should be used to create a strong password, and each character should have uppercase letters, lowercase letters, numbers, symbols. And then make sure to mix them all up. For instance, passwords such as m3Q@ghey or QER@9hdjs are difficult to track. Do not copy these passwords exactly, rather use these tips to create a password that’s unique to you as well.
Which passwords should be avoided?
Any password easy to guess should be avoided. Even if you use uppercase, lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols but it makes an easy combination such as Password@123 or random123@, these passwords can be easily compromised.
Use passwords that seem difficult to remember. At the same time, make sure you use different passwords for different platforms.
Where do you store your passwords?
It is difficult to remember passwords all the time. That’s where password managers come to the rescue. Password managers are applications that store your passwords and encrypt them so that they cannot be hacked from their database. Password managers such as Byteseal, Keeper, LastPass, Dashlane, Keepass, and Password are the most trusted apps for managing your passwords for you.
Is it safe to allow Google to remember your password?
Yes, it is absolutely safe to allow Google to store password. However, if your device is vulnerable to attacks, then allowing Google to save your password won’t be the best option. If you still do, make sure to use good network security services.
What to do if your passwords are compromised?
In case your social media platforms are hacked, you should immediately change your password. If you’re unable to do so, email support and put it out on social media via your friends’ or relatives’ accounts informing about the illegal activity. You can also register your complaint on cyber cell.
How do you check the security of all your saved passwords on Google?
Go to the password manager in the security section of your Google account or log in to password.google.com.
Click on check password and verify your account.
You’ll see results in three categories – passwords that might have been compromised, passwords that are being used on different websites and passwords that are considered weak.
You can also view, update, or delete any passwords shown on risk.
How often should you change passwords?
Every user should change their passwords at least once every three months. This decreases the threat of your account being compromised.
(At The Quint, we question everything. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member today.)