Update security for online accounts to thwart ID thieves, scammers
Madison, S.D. (May 3, 2022) – Almost every adult in the United States will need a password for account security at some point in their lifetime. By some estimates, 28% of internet users have between 11 and 25 password-protected accounts. Thursday, May 5th is also World Password Day and SBS CyberSecurity wants to encourage everyone to take steps to beef up security by reviewing and changing passwords if needed.
“Though most companies that offer online services now make it almost impossible to use things like ‘Password’ or ‘123456’ – two of the most common and easily hacked choices – many people do still have weak password protection,” said Chad Knutson, SBS CyberSecurity President. “There’s no indication that cyberattacks will decrease and more and more people are handling business online, so it’s important that we safeguard our information with strong, complex passwords.”
SBS CyberSecurity recommends following these tips when considering password protection:
- Create passphrases instead of passwords. Individual words, even with slight variations, are easy to guess, but a series of words in a passphrase make them more secure.
- Consider making the passphrase or password longer than the minimum limit. Longer passphrases are harder to break.
- Don’t use the same password for multiple systems, websites, or accounts.
- Don’t use single words that can be found in the dictionary of any language. Password-cracking tools often come with dictionary lists that can try thousands of common words.
- Don’t use passwords that include personal information that could be easily accessed or guessed. This includes your birth date, your social security or phone number, or names of family members or pets.
- If you need help managing your passwords, do not store your list of passwords in a plain text file on your computer. Instead, there are several third-party programs that can help you stay secure, including LastPass, DashLane, 1Password, Roboform, PasswordSafe, or Keepass.
- If available, use multi-factor authentication.
Download the Stronger Passwords, Stronger Security tip sheet to learn more.