You are totally not alone! Most people use the same password everywhere for home, work, Gmail, Facebook… even for banking. With how many passwords we’re expected to remember and use on a daily basis, password overload is a very real thing. It’s no wonder that when another prompt for a password appears, we normally enter easily guessed combinations like ‘abcd’, ‘password’, or 123456.
The trouble is, even if your password is meeting the requirements, hackers are taking a daily stroll around the internet and collecting logins and passwords as they go, from either leaked databases or sites with security flaws.
Then, they’ll try their luck with that login/password combination elsewhere. They know more than half the internet users in the world have only one password and email combination, so the chance of gaining access to your accounts is actually quite high. Even the big names in tech are at risk of password breaches:
360 million MySpace emails and passwords leaked.
117 million LinkedIn account details leaked.
Same password used elsewhere? Cue the domino effect! One site breach follows another and another until hackers have nothing more to gain. The only way to break this chain reaction is to use a different password for each site.
How to Create Easily Remembered Passwords
Have a system or template for creating your own unique passwords, that you’ll be able to remember, but is not obvious to hackers.
For example: <character> <word> <something about the site> <numbers> <character> Becomes !B1rdFB75!
It might seem complicated, but the above is really just based around the words ‘bird’ and ‘FB’ for Facebook. Change the FB to something else for other sites.
What to Do If Your Password Has Been Hacked
You can check to see if any of your accounts have been compromised by entering your email into a site like www.haveibeenpwned.com If it alerts a breach, you need to change ALL your passwords immediately. Use the example system above to create a new set. I even have been compromised in two hacks, one on LinkedIn.com and the other on Adobe.com.
If you’re struggling to remember your set of passwords, consider using a secure password tracker such as LastPass or 1Password. I personally use 1Password and really like how it easily syncs between my Windows computer, MacBook Pro, and cell phone. That way I am never out a password if I need it. If you need help changing your passwords or setting up a secure password system, let us know by contacting us or calling us 937-660-4899 and we’ll be more than happy to help you.
If you have a story about being hacked or password taken let us know in the comments! We hate to hear it but your story may help someone else learn what not to do.
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