1. Don’t save passwords in smart phones and laptops.
Sure, it’s more convenient to save your passwords for certain websites on your mobile device so you don’t have to enter it every time. But imagine how easily you could lose your phone or laptop, either by accident or at the hands of a thief. Now you’ve given a stranger direct access to your personal accounts. Take the extra time to enter your password, you won’t regret it.
2. Change your passwords often.
Again, even though it’s not always convenient, you should change your passwords often. For personal data such as bank accounts, credit cards, etc. you should change your password every 60 days. For email, social media sites, etc. you should change your password every 90 days.
3. Write your passwords down and store them safely.
It can be easy to forget your passwords, especially when you change them often. Keep a current list of your passwords in a safe location at home just in case. You may also want to write down answers to security questions (some sites use them for added protection) in case you need to reset your password. Each time you update the list, shred the old one.
4. If you share it, change it.
If you have to share your password with someone to get assistance with your computer, make sure you change it after your computer is fixed. Even if it’s a friend or family member, it’s better to be safe and start fresh after someone has had access to password protected parts of your computer.
5. Where possible, use computer generated passwords.
It’s tempting to create passwords from pet names, birthdays, kids names and other important monikers and digits in your life. But sometimes those passwords can be easy to decode, making them unsafe. Instead, consider using a computer generated password. There are several websites available that can create a random group of letters and numbers for you–just make sure you write it down (as we said in #3) since they can be difficult to remember!