Posted by Calico UK - 15:15 on 01 September 2017
Recent news has highlighted just how insecure and vulnerable to leaking our login details can be.
News Coverage: Register.com - That's Nonsense - Metro News
If you use the same password across several sites you should be especially worried because that would mean that once the details are leaked for one site, they're leaked for all sites. You can check if your email/password is listed in recent leaks via haveibeenpwned.com.
So what can you do about it? Here are some tips.
1. Change your passwords occasionally. That way, if your details are leaked then the leaked version will soon become obsolete.
2. Don't use simple passwords that hackers and spammers can either guess or work out by brute force. You can find out how long it would take to crack your password choice at How Secure is My Password.
3. Mix upper and lowercase letters with numbers and punctuation marks.
4. If you have trouble remembering complex passwords, don't write them down. Instead, use a strategy such as combining four or more common words, eg "cuppadoorwindowcalendar" or "Purple-Helicopter-Evolved-Happy" etc. These are harder to guess but simpler to remember. This is Money Advice Info.
5. Don't give away your password to someone your don't know. So don't give it to someone who phones you and says he's from Microsoft, or some other organisation unless you've verified their credentials.
6. Use a password manager tool to generate and store passwords. Advice on the best password manager tools can be found here.
You can update your passwords via your online control panel with your services here at Calico. If you require any assistance with that, please don't hesitate to get in touch with our friendly helpdesk team.
Add your comment below