Staying Safe Navigating Online By Diane Robert
When online passwords were first introduced many years ago, people chose personal information that was meaningful to them and easy to recall such as their date of birth or their loved one, easy to recall numbers such as 123456, names, home address, etc. To make matters worse, they often used the same password to sign into multiple accounts.
As time evolved and the internet continued to become the target of online identity theft, more complex passwords (12 characters, mix of upper and lower case, numbers, punctuation) were introduced by password generators. Once a password is created, users are urged not to share them and use only unique passwords for each online account.
How do we manage all our passwords and still keep ourselves safe online? The idea of keeping a log or spreadsheet to record this data may sound tedious and time-consuming to some. Sure there are password manager apps out there but know there are pros and cons to consider. I suggest doing your homework to determine what option works best for you.
I used to think that turning on two-step authentication was a waste of time but I’ve now come to realize this layer of security is valuable and I highly recommend it. Companies text you a code to your phone and you simply enter it online.
Some companies offer more sophisticated methods to verify your identity such as fingerprint and voice recognition.
Don’t take your passwords or security for granted. Take time to seek ways to protect yourself online.