Let’s confirm you haven’t fallen victim to some common bad password habits.
ThisCybersecurity Awareness Weekarticle is brought to you in association withIncogni.
That’s why many people use birthdays and other personal information in their passwords.
Hannah Stryker / How-To Geek
However, this is one of the worst things you could do.
The truth is a lot of this “personal” information is not so personal.
This even applies to the names of famous people.
WPEngine
“Keyboard Walking” is one form of creating passwords that is much more common than you might think.
But that’s a very bad idea.
You’re making it very easy for someone to get inside all of your accounts with minimal effort.
Justin Duino / How-To Geek
It’s a similar situation to using the same password everywhere.
First, a password generator, which is exactly what it sounds likea tool that creates passwords.
These passwords are much, much more secure than anything you’ve got the option to think up.
Some password managers even work as password generators themselves.
Now, you may be thinking a password manager is no different than a spreadsheet.
A common example of multi-factor authentication is using a phone number for confirmation after signing into a website.
You have to enter that PIN to fully sign in.
Phone numbers aren’t actually the best method for two-factor authentication, though.
Apps likeGoogle AuthenticatorandAuthyare much harder to crack than phone numbers.
Sadly, data breaches have become a common thing.
Changing your passwords regularly makes that leaked information outdated.
you’ve got the option to also use “Have I Been Pwned?”
to see if your information has been leaked.
Using a password in the first place might be the biggest mistake you’re making.
Passkeys are the future of passwords, and you should use them whenever you could.
Apasskeyis more like unlocking your phone than entering a username and password.
For example, your Facebook password is used anywhere you might reach the Facebook website or app.
A passkey, on the other hand, is tied to the equipment it was created on.
Your phone is the “password,” and no one can get in without it.
The good news is there are solutions for every bad password habit out there.
The bad news is it’s up to you to use them.
