Archives - Password

Change your Facebook password every couple of months or sooner

Creating a strong password for all of your online accounts is a necessary but not sufficient measure for protecting your information. Even major services like Facebook suffer security incidents in which login credentials are stored in plain text, meaning anyone could potentially retrieve them. Set a reminder to change your password periodically and do it […]

Be careful supplying personal information online

Unless you trust a site, don’t give your address, password, or credit card information. Look for indications that the site uses SSL to encrypt your information. Although some sites require you to supply your social security number (e.g., sites associated with financial transactions such as loans or credit cards), be especially wary of providing this […]

Protect your data from interception

Networks without passwords do not encrypt your connection. Accordingly, it’s possible for other connected users to spy on your activity, including any password you type. Don’t view your bank balance or log into any accounts tied to a debit/credit card while on public Wi-Fi. Cellular is much safer in these cases.

Keep your passwords complex

If your username for your online banking account is the same as your Xbox Live handle and your password is literally “password”, you’re opening yourself up to attack. What’s more, if you’re relying on the same password for multiple accounts, you’re creating multiple points of failure for a hacker to exploit. Thankfully, we’ve produced articles […]

Guard against USPS Informed Delivery scams

Informed Delivery is a USPS service that provides an email digest containing scanned images of incoming mail, along with options for managing delivery. Some scammers have exploited it by signing up with carefully targeted addresses and then intercepting the recipients’ mail. Consider enrolling and protecting your account with a strong password to avoid this possibility.

Enable two-step authentication on your Apple ID or Google Account

Chances are you use at least one device that runs either iOS or Android. To protect your data and identity, set up two-factor authentication so that every login attempt requires an additional credential on top of your username and password. This might be a text message code or an approval from another trusted device.