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Keep Your Passwords Safe and Strong:
Apr-26-2012
Most of us have passwords for just about every online account we access on a regular basis, Facebook, Twitter, banking websites, email accounts, and more. To avoid having any of these important accounts hacked, it’s important to create passwords or passphrases that are safe, strong, and secure. Below are some tips for creating strong passwords.
What Makes a Password Strong?
Hackers are always finding new ways to hack into accounts. They create special programs that can search for passwords using all kinds of advanced techniques. To protect our private information, it’s important to create passwords that these advanced programs can’t decode. Here are a few tips for creating a strong password:
· Create passwords that are 8 – 14 characters in length.
· Don’t use personal information such as names or birthdays, or any full words that can be found in the dictionary. Even if they are spelled backwards, they can still be detected by hackers.
· Use a combination of letters, numbers, and symbols. For example, instead of using the password “Computer” you could use “C0mPyouT@r392” instead.
· Don’t use repeated characters such as 222333444 - mix up your combinations instead.
· Don’t use common numbers or symbols to replace letters - such as “0” for “O”, or “@” for “a”. Hacking software can look for these combinations too.
· Don’t use the same password for everything. If a hacker accesses one account then they may be able to access other accounts with the same password, so make sure each account has its own password.
· Change all of your passwords about every three months, and choose new passwords that are drastically different from the old passwords you used previously.
· Check the strength of your password using a password checker. Click here to be directed to Microsoft’s user friendly password checker.
Using Passphrases
A passphrase is a technique for creating a password that is made up of a series of words that create a phrase. Passphrases can be difficult to detect by hackers because they are a combination of a variety of different words, instead of just one word. The tips listed above for creating strong passwords also apply to passphrases, but we’ve also listed some additional tips below.
· Use a phrase that you’ll remember, such as “my dog likes to jump” and then change it using numbers and symbols so that it is more difficult to detect, such as “MyD0g11K@s2J7mp”.
· In addition, you can also misspell words within your phrase to make it more difficult to detect, such as “M1DugLykesTwoJomp”
Remembering Your Passwords and Passphrases
It is recommended that you don’t write down your passwords or passphrases. That being said, with all of the passwords you have to remember for your various accounts, it can be difficult to remember them all. Here are a few tips for remembering your passwords.
· If you must write it down, don’t label it as your password, and keep it in a very safe place.
· Create an acronym for the password or phrase that has meaning to you to help prompt you to remember your password.
· Relate your password or phrase to a favorite hobby, sport, animal, or other related item that you will remember.
Protect Yourself from Online Scams:
Apr-18-2012
Scams, spam, and urban legends - these days it’s getting harder and harder to tell what emails and websites are legitimate, and which ones are made by scammers looking for ways to get your personal information, infect your computer with a virus or spyware, or fool you into making a false purchase.
So how can you protect yourself and where can you go to learn more? We’re here to help you sift through the most prevalent scams and point you toward resources to help you differentiate between a legitimate offer, and a potential scam.
What Are the Most Common Scams?
There are so many different kinds of scams out there, and so many more are being created every day, that it’s impossible to list all of them – but we can help you sift through some of the most popular. A few of these include:
· Bogus vendors attempting to get you to make false purchases (whether from phony merchants on auction sites or from scammers who develop a mock website to look like a well-known retailer but don’t deliver the merchandise)
· Investment scams hoping to convince you to invest in a false product or company
· Email scams that contain links to viruses and potentially allow hackers to access your computer.
· Phishing emails that contain bogus offers or threats to trick you into divulging confidential and personal information in an attempt to steal your identity.
· Urban legends spread online. You know, the ones that suggest you ‘send this to everyone you know!’ These are often simply stories told secondhand and passed on via email that are made to be interesting, shocking, or create an element of caution, but they can be scary and misleading.
Although these are just some of the scams to look out for, there are some basic all-encompassing tips that can help you dodge most cons. It’s also good to have some sources you can check to find out if something is true or not. We’ve listed some websites to check out as well as some simple tips you can use to help you interact safely online.
Where You Can Go For Help - Resources to Check Out:
Federal Trade Commission: http://www.ftc.gov/
OnGuard Online: http://onguardonline.gov/
Snopes.com (for information on Urban Legends) – www.snopes.com
Scambusters.org – www.scambusters.org
About.com Urban Legends - http://urbanlegends.about.com/
Tips for Protecting Yourself Online:
· As a rule of thumb, if you get an offer by email, or through an Internet pop up ad, that makes you question the authenticity of the offer, trust your gut and don’t act on the offer.
· Only do business with well known retailers, insurance companies, and investment companies that you are familiar with or with which you already have a relationship. This can help you avoid those nasty scams that can bring you unnecessary stress.
· If you are making a purchase online from a company you haven’t dealt with before, look for a physical address (instead of a PO Box) and telephone number, and call the company to make sure it’s legitimate before making the purchase.
· Don’t send your social security number, credit card number, or any other personal information by email.
· Check online reviews about the company before you do business with them. Chances are if the company is a scam, or if other people have dealt with them before, you’ll find this information by doing a simple Google search.
· Be cautious when responding to special investment offers, especially through unsolicited email.
· Be cautious when dealing with individuals/companies from outside of your own country.
· Purchase items using your credit card instead of your debit card, as credit cards offer protection against unauthorized charges and do not link directly to your checking or savings account.
· Don’t judge a company by their website – legitimate looking websites can be set up quickly and easily.
· Before making an online purchase, look for https in the address bar – the “s” stands for “secure”.
· Never give out your passwords to your email account, bank information, social networking site, or to any other online account.
· Keep your security software up to date! Click here to learn about SecureIT Plus Internet Security offered by Granite State Communications.
Most of all… remember that if an offer seems too good to be true, it probably is.
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