There have been so many data breaches and hacks this year that’s it hard to feel safe in cyberspace. The best way to protect your data, though, is still through strong passwords and two-factor authentication where possible. Taking steps like changing passwords regularly and using a password manager are crucial to protecting yourself. Now, for the second year, a group of tech companies led by Intel are celebrating World Password Day to get everyone on top of their open sesames.
The World Password Day site includes games, tips, and links to information about password and general cybersecurity safety. You can check which types of passwords are stronger, and there's also pithy information like:
Real talk: Cyber criminals regularly steal passwords by the thousands from the companies and databases that store them. This can put you in hot water if you haven't changed your passwords recently, or use the same password across web sites.
World Password Day isn't a bad initiative. In fact, itss a great way to get people who would otherwise ignore passwords entirely to think about them once a year. But password maintenance really takes more than that. The biggest value in World Password Day is that it contributes to what will hopefully be a broader shift in how we all think about our personal data security, and how we understand the urgency of protecting it.
Think of your password as your mother. She would be furious if you called her only on Mother’s Day, right? Important relationships and your online security both take work.