Hackers Hate Hard Handles

Pick a strong password.  It takes expert hackers about 10-minutes to guess a password of 6 lowercase letters. Strong passwords contain a series of upper and lowercase letters, symbols, and numbers, which make a password nearly uncrackable. Need help generating secure passwords? Try safepasswd.com. Another option is to create phrases like “hackers hate hard handles” which statistically would take hackers hundreds of years to guess. Check out passphra.se for creative ideas. And, think about using multiple passwords: one for social media, a different one for banking, and yet another for online purchases. This way, if hackers crack one password, they won’t compromise every account you have.

Use Wi-Fi hot spots cautiously. Free public wireless Internet like you find at coffee shops, bookstores, libraries, and hotels is not encrypted, potentially exposing your bank accounts, email, credit card, and other personal information to phishing and smishing scams and hackers.  The Federal Trade Commission says that “new hacking tools- available for free online- make this easy, even for users with limited technical know-how.”  So turn off your wireless at these hotspots by right-clicking the taskbar’s wireless icon in Windows or clicking the Mac’s menu bar Wi-Fi icon. Don’t forget your smart phone either, which is especially susceptible to cyber scams. See the FTC’s website for more protection tips.

There is no perfect way to protect your personal information from hackers, but with a few easy changes, you can make yourself a less desirable target. Keep up to date on the latest E-Scams and Internet safety warnings at the FBI website.