Your passwords can be exposed by making ANY of these 3 simple mistakes

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Internet users are warned to check their passwords (Image: GETTY)

Some incredibly simple mistakes can easily put your most important online data in the hands of hackers. Those are the latest findings from the McAfee security team, who have found that many of us don’t follow the most basic of rules when it comes to our online accounts. The findings were released on the occasion of World Password Day, which is today (May 6, 2021), and they make for some pretty terrifying reading.

You probably already know that using the same password for multiple accounts is a terrible idea and coming up with a security code with details that are easy to guess for anyone you know – such as birthdays or pet names – is about as secure as a padlock with the key in it.

However, many of us continue to do just that when setting up an account or trying out a new online service or app. We are also terrible about changing a password once it is chosen and left online with a high risk of attack.

According to McAfee, more than a third of Britons say they haven’t changed their password for a long time. Worst of all, 37 percent admitted to using the same or a similar password more than once and 19 percent of people actually wrote their password on a piece of paper to make it easier to remember.

All of this can make it easy for hackers to access multiple devices with one simple click. Another change that is easy to make and can improve things is to set up multi-factor authentication, which means accounts need an extra layer of security to gain access.

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Unfortunately, about 75 percent of those interviewed admitted that they don’t use multi-factor authentication, which means online criminals have fewer hoops to jump through to access your accounts.

“When it comes to online security, password hygiene has never been more relevant. In the past year alone, we have seen a massive increase in online activity, with many Britons relying on everyday activities such as online shopping and banking due to the pandemic, ”said Raj Samani, Chief Scientist and McAfee Fellow.

If you’re concerned about your accounts and passwords, here are some top McAfee tips for creating secure passwords:

Share password: Passwords should never be shared with anyone else, not even trusted family and friends. Sharing a password can lead to critical personal information falling into the wrong hands. McAfee does not recommend this and encourages consumers to keep all passwords to themselves. More importantly, never share a password via text message, email or any other online communication channel.

Keep it impersonal: Passwords that contain personal information such as your name, address or your pet’s name make them easier to guess. This is especially true when we share a lot of personal information online. But you can use personal preferences that are not well known to create strong passphrases.

Never reuse passwords: If you reuse passwords and someone recommends a password for one account, they may be able to use it to access other accounts. This practice has become even more risky in recent years due to the high number of corporate data breaches. With just one hack, cyber criminals can get their hands on thousands of passwords, which they can then use to gain access to multiple accounts.

Use a password manager: If the mere thought of creating and managing complex passwords has overwhelmed you, outsource the work to a password manager. These are software programs that can create arbitrary and complex passwords for any of your accounts and store them securely. This means you don’t have to remember your passwords – you can just rely on the password manager to enter them when needed.

Use multi-factor authentication: You can double check the authenticity of digital users and add an extra layer of security to protect personal data and information.

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Neela
Neela
I work as the Content Writer for Gaming Ideology. I play Quake like professionally. I love to write about games and have been writing about them for two years.

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