1.  Don’t use the same password for every account.  If one account is compromised, all of your accounts could be compromised.
2. Don’t use something that is easy to guess.  How many people talk about their dog and still use his name as a password?
3. Use a passphrase instead of a password.  “Peanutbutter sandwiches4me” is much better than “peanutbutter”.
4. Trade out letters for symbols and numbers.  Instead of “Lemonade” use “L3m0n@d3”.
5. Change your passwords regularly.  Don’t use the same password that you have used for years.
6. Find a password manager so you only need one password and the manager will remember the rest.
7. Use two step authentication when possible.  You attempt to access your account and they send you a code to your phone that must be entered to access the site.  This can also be sent to an email address.

I know these seem extreme to some, but if you have ever been hacked these measure seem reasonable compared to the hassle of battling hackers to regain control of a lost account or fixing the damage they can inflict on your accounts.  Maybe just start small by ensuring that all of your passwords have at least one uppercase and one lowercase letters and at least one number and one symbol, also make sure each password is at least 8 characters long.

If you need help changing your passwords or finding a password manager, call me.

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