Archives - Password


Account security questions don’t have to be true

You’re probably familiar with security questions as a way to recover an account online. They’re often questions like, “What is your mother’s maiden name?” or “What is the name of the street you grew up on?” True answers are less secure than fake ones, as anyone with that information could potentially access your account. For […]

Try making your passwords longer than six or eight characters

Creating secure passwords is a must if you want to protect your accounts from cybercriminals. When creating passwords, it is essential to find a balance between complexity and memorability. A strong password should contain an abbreviated phrase interspersed with a number and a special character, if possible. This combination will provide you with a long […]

When changing your passwords, make sure they’re significantly different from your old ones

It’s a good habit to change your passwords occasionally to keep them from being cracked. However, if your new password is similar to your old one, it will be easier to guess than if you use something completely different. Don’t just change a few numbers or letters or add one or two symbols if the […]

What’s multi-factor authentication (MFA)?

Multi-factor authentication is a type of authentication that requires multiple pieces of evidence to validate a user’s identity. It typically involves up to three factors – something the user knows (like a password or PIN), something the user has (such as a security token or cellphone), and something the user is (a biometric characteristic, like […]

Stay on top of data breaches

There are quite a few ways to find out if your password may have been compromised by a data breach. Many browsers and security software can tell you, for example. However you go about it, keep yourself informed of any data breaches. If a site you use has been compromised, it’s possible your credentials have, […]

Understand how “brute force” and “dictionary” password breaches happen

The best way to protect yourself from having your password stolen by bad actors is to understand how they can guess your password — and brute force attacks are one of the most common methods. This is when an automated program attempts to discover your password by entering words often found in a dictionary. If […]