Best Practices for Online Safety
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Online safety is something everyone should care about. All of your sensitive information such as financial data, identity data, and viewing data are all over every device that you use. Being a victim of a data thief is unfortunately no longer paranoia, as most users in the US have had their information stolen via the numerous data breaches of the past few years.
Whether or not you are aware of any attempts to steal your information, here’s a few tips that can go a long way in keeping your accounts safe.
Change Your Password
Many of the items on this list are going to be things that people don’t want to hear and don’t want to be bothered doing. You may have been able to drift by without changing your passwords in the past, but now it will leave you vulnerable to data breaches. Most experts recommend you change your password at least 2-3 times per year. Some companies even make their employees change their passwords every 30 days!
The reason behind changing your password often is simple: You almost never know when and what data has been stolen before it’s too late. By changing your passwords often you lessen the likelihood that your account gets compromised.
Don’t Use the Same Password Everywhere
Another tough pill to swallow. Users don’t want to have to remember 50 passwords to make their way around the Internet. But the dangers of using the same password for every login are real and present. A data thief will absolutely try using your login information on other popular sites and programs. Its important to try your best to keep the credentials for each site separate and distinct.
Where to Keep Your Passwords
Hanging on to all of your passwords can be more than a chore, especially if you are changing your passwords often and using different passwords for different sites (as you should). What is the safest way to keep a list of your passwords. Password managing programs can be very easy to use and very popular, but even password managers are not free of data breaches. Many experts say that writing down the information and keeping the list secure is actually the safest way to go. While it may not be the most practical, paper can be the safest solution currently available.
Two Factor Authentication
Two Factor Authentication is something that many users tend to be annoyed about. In the fast pace world of business and instant gratification of high speed internet, users want to login and and get straight to their work or content. Two Factor Authentication, to many users, seems like another stop sign in their way. The reason two factor authentication is important is that it is one of the ultimate defenses that your accounts can have. Requiring a code from a text message or an email just to log in to an account stops many accounts from being compromised. In addition, these log in attempts can result in the user being notified instantaneously.
(Click Here for a more detailed explanation on Two Factor Authentication)
DATA BREACHES CAN HAPPEN TO BUSINESSES OF ANY SIZE
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