According to a Dashlane study, a single person owns up to 90 online accounts. If you have more than that, it’s definitely not a reason to celebrate. Any one of these accounts could be vulnerable to hackers who are out to steal critical information and, worse, gain access to other accounts.
What matters more than how many accounts you have, however, is how you secure them from cybercriminals. The best way to do this is to keep your login information from falling into the wrong hands. Eliminate the risk of unauthorized access using these simple yet effective tips:
- Never use the same passwords
Most people tend to use the same password for all their accounts because they think it’s more convenient. However, this becomes a serious cybersecurity problem if someone makes a lucky guess. Accessing one account opens up a goldmine of opportunity for cybercriminals. Your best defense would be to assign unique passwords. It’s a big sacrifice in terms of convenience, but your other accounts will be safe if one of them is compromised.
- Use a password manager
If you are having a hard time tracking your login credentials for your accounts or if you send passwords to authorized personnel, using a password manager or vault app should come in handy. Apps like LastPass and KeePass are essential in encrypting your passwords so you can safely send them to the right people. They can also generate strong passwords for every account you own, beefing up online security and making it hard for hackers to gain access .
- Be careful with using public wifi
If you are a freelancer or someone who uses a laptop in places like parks, cafes, airports and libraries, your device needs to be properly equipped. Public wifi networks, especially those that allow you to connect freely, can be exploited by hackers who have the means to intercept data between you and the connection point. That said, be sure to turn on your firewalls and disable file sharing. It’s also important to consider setting up a virtual private network (VPN) that encrypts the information you send out. You can check out InVPN.com for a list of VPN providers that can help keep your data from leaking out through a public wifi network.
- Set up additional authentication processes
Criminals will be using every available means to grab hold of your login credentials. In order to frustrate their efforts, you need to have an authentication process that alerts if ever someone tries to access an account. Sure enough, most websites or apps require a two-step authentication process where you have to enter a code sent to your phone in order to access an account. You can also set up a unique security question or even add biometric authentication for added security. If you have sensitive data in store, it won’t hurt giving hackers several doors to open.
Never be a victim of cybercrime. Secure your login credentials with these basic tips and deprive cybercriminals the opportunity to profit from a data breach!.