Forget about all those special characters and the cute personal cues you think only you can figure out. If you really want to keep fraudsters at bay, do this instead.
New cybersecurity breaches seem to be an almost weekly occurrence lately and more than 14 million Americans a year become victims of identity theft, according to the latest estimates. Yet consumers continue to leave themselves vulnerable to fraudsters eager to nab their personal data. The culprit: the highly predictable passwords, PINs and other log-ins they use for their online accounts.
Cybersecurity experts told Newsweek they have never heard of a similar case in the U.S. and think the risk to American consumers is slim to none thanks to federal protections limiting liability under the Fair Credit Billing and Electronic Fund Transfer Acts.
Try, for example, stringing together four or five disassociated words, such as"hail mongoose rubber grandma" to create a unique set of characters that will be easy for you to recall but hard for someone to crack, says Levin.
"Changing passwords on a frequent basis is too hard for people," says Dukes."Most were writing the new password down, using easy to remember passwords or just adding to their password numerically. It wasn't adding any security value." You might as well hang out a welcome sign for fraudsters saying,"Come and get me." All of these methods are largely unsecure since anyone who uses your computer could log in to your accounts if they are saved on your device or browser, or stumble across your written list, if it isn't properly locked away. Plus, browsers can be easily hacked.
South Africa Latest News, South Africa Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Sam Hunt Samples Webb Pierce on New Party Track 'Hard to Forget'Hunt deftly weaves the honky-tonk singer’s “There Stands the Glass” into an irresistible mash-up of traditional and current
Read more »
18 Iconic 'Big Brother' Moments That No Brit Should Ever ForgetThe golden days of TV are behind us.
Read more »
Don't forget flowers! These 11 stunning bouquets will arrive by Valentine’s Day and are sure to take her breath awayWhether you prefer classic roses, fresh tulips or even adorable heart-shaped cacti, there's bound to be a bloom she'll love.
Read more »
Forget the Galápagos and Iceland — here are 10 under-the-radar destinations to visit in 2020 if you want to escape the crowdsIntrepid Travel's 'Not Hot' list highlights off-the-beaten-path and emerging places to ease the effects of overtourism.
Read more »
Iowa caucus app has security flaws, hackers could change passwords, vote tallies: ReportAlthough there is no evidence suggesting that the Iowa caucuses were hacked, the app used to report results was vulnerable to hacks that could have altered vote totals and changed passwords.
Read more »