If you haven’t heard, eBay was hacked… and it was a BIG hack.
More details are expected to be released later today. As a precaution, eBay is resetting everyone’s passwords.
Unfortunately, hacking is real and we’ve seen several big cases of it over the years. And yet, many people still have weak or even worse… only ONE password.
Yes, it’s annoying that some websites will not let you re-use old passwords. And yes, the list of required password elements on some websites can be overwhelming. But all of this is for your protection!
Here are some password tips:
If you can find parts of your password online, so can someone else.
Think about it. People can often find your address, anniversary, birthday, etc. online. Under no circumstances should these items be part of your passwords.
Create a unique password for each individual site.
You only have one password? Really? So if someone hacks your eBay, then they can access every other account you have online!
Avoid obvious naming conventions.
If your Facebook password is “Facebook123”, it’s not going to be very hard for me to guess your Twitter, LinkedIn, eBay, etc. Stop it.
Change your password several times a year.
I know. Passwords can be a pain. But change them regularly. A moving target is harder to catch.
Keep your passwords in a secure location.
If you can memorize your passeords, that’s great! But not all of us can. So keep them somewhere locked away where you would lock up other vital documents. And no. A notepad on your desk is NOT OK.
TODAY’S QUESTION: How secure are your passwords? Do you have any other password tips to share?
SOUND OFF IN THE COMMENTS BELOW!
There has to be a medium ground on passwords.
I especially hate those sights I use infrequently, that require that I change my password EVERY single time.
I run out of clever things I can remember. Acronyms don’t help, because all it takes is to misremember that “and” starts with “&,” in this case, and the whole thing is off. I am forced to come up with new passwords so many times, that they do far more to keep ME out of my sites than they do to discourage the hackers.
Holy cow! How about some memory tips? What if I forget the secure location of all my passwords?
I think I will use passwords like, “f***yuhacker” so if I get hacked at least I will have the satisfaction of telling the hacker how I feel.
Great post, Brian, very helpful.
Thanks for the article. Do you know of any recommended password manager programs or apps? Don’t know if this link will work here but this recent PCMag article mentions a few. Looking for some real world users to weigh in.
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2407168,00.asp