Are your online accounts protected?

This Thursday, we celebrate World Password Day to remind us to keep our online accounts safe. Using the same password for all accounts has long caused a serious security risk. As soon as someone figures out your Facebook password, now they also have access to your online banking. But seriously, who can keep track of all these accounts?


Here are some simple tips you can use to increase security for your online accounts on this year's World Password Day:

•  Use passphrases instead of passwords. This can be as simple as using your favorite song lyrics, football team or hobby, for example Il0vemyM0t0rcycl3! and remember - the longer, the stronger!
  
  
• While it is strongly recommended that you create unique passphrases for all your accounts, pay special attention to very important accounts such as email, banking and healthcare. Always use a unique passphrase for your work account.
  
  
• Are you having trouble keeping track of all your passphrases? Try using a password manager! Password managers are programs that store all your passwords in one encrypted database. This makes it simple to manage unique passwords for each account! Learn more about password managers here. Alternatively, write down your passphrases and store them in a safe place away from your computer.
  
  
• To add an additional layer of security, try using multi-factor authentication. Enabling multi-factor authentication on your important accounts will prompt you to provide another piece of information in addition to your passphrase before being able to access your account. For example, you will enter your passphrase (something you know) and a security code sent to your phone (something you have). This significantly reduces the chances of anyone being able to hack into your accounts. To learn more about multi-factor authentication, visit www.lockdownyourlogin.org/strong-authentication  

Implementing these tips won't take long and let's face it - you have enough to worry about :)