Whether for our home or office, we need passwords to gain access to some of our most important information, therefore, password protection is key. While the task can sometimes be time-consuming, there are steps that you can take to make this process less cumbersome. Four ways to protect your online passwords are included in this article.

Delving into the Basics

Identity thieves, computer hackers and scammers love that there are people who will help take the toil out of their job. Don’t make it easy for a criminal to gain access to your passwords. How do I do this? Follow these steps:

1. Get a little creative and spend extra time thinking of your password. This will make a big difference in the long run because the longer the password, the tougher it is to figure out. It is suggested that you use at least 10 characters when creating passwords, but 12 characters is ideal for most home users. Also, use a mix of letters, numbers and special characters. Try to be unpredictable; avoid using common words, your name or your birth date, too.

2. For bill pay or for leisurely activity, chances are you have many accounts for many different things. Try not to use the same password for each account. Why? If your password has been compromised, let’s say from a company that you patronize, it can be used to take over all your other accounts, leaving you with potential money loss.

3. Cell phones are an excellent gadget to have because they offer convenience. But, don’t share passwords over the phone, through text messages or via e-mail. Know that legitimate companies will not send you messages asking for your password. What’s more, messages requesting your passwords are usually a scam.

4. It is perfectly okay to look to outside companies to help you keep your password protected. For example, LastPass is an application that, once installed and configured, can offer relief on the password front. LastPass keeps a copy of your data on any Windows, Mac or Linux machine. The application gives users access to all its features using a single icon that lives on your browser navigation bar. Nonetheless, you have to download a separate version of the application for each additional browser you want to use with LastPass. There are countless other applications that can be downloaded to help you with password protection, but finding the right one for you may take effort on your part.

Going the Extra Mile

Protecting all of your passwords may not be a fun thing to do, but you will thank yourself for doing this in the long run. Above everything else, keep your passwords in a secure place, out of plain sight. What other tips can you think of for securing your passwords?

Web Links:

–https://www.us-cert.gov/sites/default/files/publications/TenWaystoImproveNewComputerSecurity.pdf;

–http://www.hlntv.com/article/2012/06/07/how-protect-your-passwords;

–http://www.onguardonline.gov/articles/0009-computer-security;

–https://lastpass.com/index.php;

–http://www.onguardonline.gov/blog/psss-its-password-day-pass-it.

-Kimberly Williams