We've all been there. For whatever reason, you have to set up a new login for some online account, and that means you have a decision to make: what's this password going to be?
For longer than I'd like to admit, I used the same password for nearly every login I had. Banks, emails, streaming, social media; they all used either the exact same password or a slight variation on said password. I know I'm far from alone in doing that.
This is a major problem.
People only have so much capacity for information, and in the interest of convenience, it makes sense to have the same login for everything you do online. But just something is convenient, does not make it good.
There are arguably too many online accounts that a person needs to have in the modern, internet age. I have 66 different logins saved in my 1Password vault. That would be an impossible amount to keep track of just in my head. However, the alternative solution of using the same password for all those accounts would mean every single one would be at risk if that one password is compromised.
I've already clued you in to the solution, but first, more specifics about why this is such a problem in today's security landscape.
The internet is the ultimate convenience for the modern world. Information and access have never been easier. However, that also means that every bad actor, every hacker, thief, criminal, etc., potentially has the same access to everyone's confidential data. Take a moment to consider every time that you've entered your credit card, address, or social security number on a website. Do you trust every single one of those sites to keep that data secure?
You probably shouldn't, but even if you do, have you ever used the same password to access sites you trust less? Honestly, I know I have. I used to use the same password to log into my bank as the one I used for Facebook. So, when my Facebook was "hacked" (hacking is likely a very strong term for whatever they did to access my account), that meant they had my login for my bank too.
I was lucky. I caught the incident quick, reset my Facebook password, and spent a few days finally changing all my passwords. Ideally, it wouldn't take an incident where my bank account was nearly breached to get me to change my passwords, but to paraphrase a tiny, fictional alien, failure is the greatest teacher.
I'm writing this blog as an attempt to keep you from repeating my mistakes. Or at least, fixing your own, similar mistakes before your password(s) find their way to the dark web (if your password is common or simple, such as "Password123!", or if you've used the same password for a long time, there's a good chance it's already there).
So, you know about the problem, now how do you fix it? Three things:
Use a password manager. 1Password is what we use the office, but there are several options out there that you can take advantage of. I can't recommend using the ones built into your browser, but that is better than nothing.
Use primarily long, secondarily complex passwords. In today's cybersecurity landscape, length beats complexity every time. "GrayDiscoveryNotificationSilver1!" is worlds harder to crack than "D!$c012*". Letters are also more secure than numbers, since there are 52 options for a letter, and only 10 for any number.
Use multi-factor authentication (MFA) whenever possible. MFA is an additional layer of security that makes life infinitely harder for cybercriminals trying to hack into your online accounts.
Safeguarding your online accounts is no longer optional—it’s essential. By adopting better password practices, such as using a password manager, creating long and unique passwords, and enabling multi-factor authentication, you can dramatically reduce the risk of falling victim to cyberattacks. The convenience of the internet shouldn't come at the cost of your security. Take these proactive steps today, so you can protect yourself and your data tomorrow. Remember, a few moments of effort now can save you from a potential disaster later. Stay secure!
Comments