Mother’s Day might be coming up soon, but here’s another holiday worth celebrating – Password Day. On May 7th, join Intel in their campaign to celebrate online security and safety by learning the facts and changing your passwords.
Did you know that on average each person has about 25 different passwords online? It might be easier to just make your password the same for everything to avoid the hassle of constantly having to reset your password each time you forget, but this is extremely dangerous! Your online passwords are key to keeping your valuable information private. Don’t just sit back and wait till you’ve been hacked to take action.
On May 7th, join myself and many others in changing your passwords. Here are some useful tips:
• Avoid pieces of personal information as passwords. This means no birth dates, pet names, or nicknames your older sibling gave you when you were kids.
• Try using phrases instead. Here’s a fun one to use: describe your first kiss. Was it “amazing and perfect” or “awkward and regretful?” When you come up with the best description, make that phrase your new password. Be creative!
Now that you’ve secured your password, it’s time to talk online scamming and hacking. Even though we’d like to think we’re smarter than to fall for hackers’s tricks, they’re not always so easy to spot.
Here are some red flags to look for and avoid from now on:
• If an ad pops up on your screen saying that you have a virus, don’t click it. Ads like these are meant to trick computer users into downloading scareware – a type of malware that gets users to buy or download software that is harmful. If they’re claiming to sell anti-virus detection software ignore it or else you’d be getting the exact opposite.
• If you receive an email from an address you don’t recognize and they’re asking for personal information, DO NOT RESPOND. This method of hacking is know as phishing and believe it or not, it’s been known to get many victims.
• Even if it’s your mother asking for your password to Netflix so she can watch the next episode of Mad Men, do not give security information on the internet! Social engineering is a method commonly used by hackers to gain passwords and account information by retrieving it online.
Hopefully these tips help you become more aware of the dangers of online scamming and motivate you to make the simple, yet essential, step to keeping your online privacy safe from intruders. Have a great Password Day!