Do you suspect that the IDs in your email or other online service have been leaked to the wrong parties? There is reason to suspect whenever you come across news about hacking that could potentially affect the services you use.
Our leading security auditor Juho Ranta compiled a checklist of how you can keep your passwords and information as secure as possible.
1. Change the passwords
Whenever you suspect a security breach or hacking, change the password immediately.
2. Use a strong password
Don’t use an easy-to-guess password like “password” or “admin” especially on your work computer. Avoid understandable words, use numbers, special characters and capital letters. Make sure the password is long enough, for example, more than 15 characters selected at random.
3. Use two-factor authenticator
For many cloud services and email accounts, it is possible to enable 2-factor authentication. In addition to the password, it requires the use of a code sent to your mobile phone or a separate application such as Google Authenticator. If passwords are leaked, you can use 2-factor authentication to prevent unauthorized access to the service.
4. Use different passwords for different services
If information from one account leaks, the others will remain safe when you use different passwords for different services. You can use a password manager to manage different passwords, making it easy to create and manage a different password for all the different services.
5. Never tell your passwords to anyone
Your service provider will not ask for your password anywhere other than to identify you to the service. Never give your user ID to outsiders, for example third party services. Avoid surprises and keep user ID only as your own information. Also use discretion as to which services you sign up for and give them access to your social media accounts.