Frequenters of the HV Shred Blog know that a favorite source for our blog is the OnGuard Online Blog posted by the Federal Trade Commission–the government agency charged with protecting consumers.
A recent post by Consumer Education Specialist Aditi Jhaveri indicated last Thursday was Password Day!
Some good reasons to update passwords regularly:
Updating your passwords can help prevent:
- (1) hacked accounts
- (2) identity theft
- (3) stolen money or unauthorized charges
We’re not just talking about changing the password for your email account. Consider updating passwords for other important accounts, too — like your bank, credit card, utility, and social media accounts. If you use a password manager, select a unique, strong password for it, too.
Jhaveri also shared some tips for creating strong passwords:
- Use a different password for each account. That way, if it gets stolen — either from you or one of the sites where you use it — someone won’t be able to take over all of your accounts.
- Get creative. Mix letters, numbers, and special characters. Never use your name or birthdate.
- Use 12 characters if you can, but no less than 10. The longer the password, the tougher it is to crack.
For more on best practices in the realm of identity theft protection, please visit www.hvshred.com