In a scale of 1 to 10 (with 10 being the best), how would you rate your online security? While most individuals try to practice safe cyber activity, let’s face it; we’re human. It can become tedious to manage multiple passwords.
October is National Cybersecurity Awareness Month and with the increasing number of cyber threats in the community, it’s important to take a proactive approach to protect your personal private information or PII.
One simple yet essential step to protect yourself online is to create a strong password. You want a secure login for all your accounts (bank, social media, school, online retailer, streaming channels, paid subscriptions, etc.)
Here are some tips to help you lock down your PII:
- Use a long password or passphrase. Try phrases that are easy to remember but hard to guess. Add complexity to it by incorporating numerals, punctuation capitalization.
- Avoid using personal details. Cyber criminals are resourceful. Do not include your name, birthday, pet’s name or school information. This information is easy to find on social media.
- Keep your passwords private. Don’t share your passwords with anyone. Cyber thieves will use phishing emails and text messages to trick you into disclosing passwords and account numbers. Stay vigilant!
- Avoid using the same password for all your accounts. Elevate your cyber defense by creating unique passwords for different accounts. Experts says that using the same strong password at multiple logins compromises the overall security of your private information.
- Keep passwords safe with a password manager. Securely store long passwords and passphrases using a password manager and only remember one master password!
Do your part. #BeCyberSmart