Fresh start: Time to rethink your passwords
As we ease into the new year, now is the perfect time to take a few simple steps to protect your important accounts.
The passwords you use online protect so much of your life – from your money, private information in your email, to your identity on social media – so it's important to make sure they do their job.
If you have a simple password, or you use the same password for multiple accounts, you’re making it easy work for the bad guys. Online criminals can crack simple passwords in seconds using automated tools and techniques. If you reuse your password, they can break into your other accounts with this password as well.
It's easy to think "I don't have anything worth stealing", or "no one's going to go to the effort to hack me". But online criminals look for easy ways to get hold of people’s information or money and will take whatever they can get with minimum effort.
So, what’s the answer?
Use strong and unique passwords on your main accounts
Whether it's your email, social media profiles, or bank account, a long, strong and unique password is your first line of defence against online attacks. We have created a guide to help you create good passwords.
Create good passwords - Own Your Online
Enable 2FA
On top of this, enabling 2FA (two-factor authentication) gives you an added layer of protection and makes it harder for scammers to steal from you. Take a look at our guide on how to set up 2FA on your most important accounts.
More top tips for online security
Online security attacks are becoming more common – find out what other steps you can take to protect yourself online.
