Each February 1st A very special day is celebrated all over the world: International Password Change Day. It is one of those days that generally go unnoticed, but are very important. We will try to explain why.
The first is the first: why is it important to change the password?
Every time we voluntarily change our password (that is, when we do so without the system requiring it due to expiration), we reduce the risk of our account being hacked. We all know what happens in these cases, because we have all suffered an online intrusion or scam or know someone who has suffered one: identity theft, twin cards, suspicious WhatsApp messages, the customer service of an important multinational company who contacts us using a Hotmail address… Examples are the order of the day.
But what is not so clear is what we have to do to defend ourselves: how much is common sense and how much is adopting a conscious and effectively safe attitude? Below we present ua series of recommendations that can be carried out relatively easily and that can make a huge difference.
Changing your password from time to time is a good strategy, but just as important is knowing how to choose a good one. The standard size is a minimum of 12 characters, with a combination of uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers and symbols allowed. The further away a password is from that minimum floor, the faster it can be hacked.
In second place, You should never use the same password for different accounts, sites or services. As much as we like to feel special, human beings are predictable, and the first thing a cybercriminal who hacks a password is going to do is try it on all the other possible accounts. And the reason he’s going to do it is because sometimes it works.
Whenever the application or account allows it, it is important to add one more layer of security through a new authentication factor that allows strengthening access. It can be a token, an email, an SMS or a randomly generated token by time: whatever the case, if you have the possibility, take advantage of it.
Human beings are predictable but also clueless, and the mere idea of having an individual password for each account or application we download and use can be an overwhelming feeling. That’s why It is advisable Use a password manager that makes implementation easier, without having to spend all day afraid of forgetting them. Or what is even worse: having them all together in the same document. A password manager is a simple and secure way to solve this problem.
Finally, the easiest and at the same time the most difficult recommendation: never share your password with anyone. Giving them to our partner, family or friends is not an act of love or trust: it is the shortest path to endless problems.
Cybersecurity Director of OCP TECH
Source: Ambito
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