Today is Safer Internet Day! One of the most dangerous things you can do on the internet is reuse passwords on multiple sites across the internet. Reusing a password makes you a target for hackers for two reasons:
1. First, let’s say a hacker guesses your password or a website you login to has a security hole and they are somehow able to obtain your username and password. That same hacker, if her or she is smart, will at least try that same username and password combo on other popular sites. Maybe they got your password through a flaw on a small time cooking recipe site, not big deal right? But if you used that same combo for your bank account, you could quickly be in financial trouble!
2. If you only had to worry about one hacker, that would be one thing. But today, hackers are just as well connected across the internet as any of us are. Your one stolen password will almost certainly end up complied into a massive, mindbogglingly large list of passwords stolen from millions of users across thousands of websites. Maybe the one person who figured out your one password will be a bit lazy. Maybe they’ll only try a few sites and give up. Once your password gets into one of these massive lists, you’ll have an entire army of hackers, and their special automated tools, trying your password on every site. Between new hackers coming along and new automatic tools that make use of these lists, you’ll never be safe using that same username and password combo again.
With all the scariness surrounding passwords and hackers, what can you do to protect yourself?
Well, one thing we highly recommend is that you stop reusing password across different sites. This sounds hard, right? It means you’ll need a different for every site you visit. The way to do this without it become a chore is to use a password manager like 1Password or Last Pass. These programs help you store your passwords securely on your computer and help suggest new passwords for every site you visit. Often times, these programs will pop up like magic and help you fill in your unique password for every site you visit. Not only are you more secure, logging in to site becomes easier as well.
Another thing we recommend you do is check to see if any of your previous passwords are in any of these giant list hacker compile. Previously, the easier way to do this was to go to haveibeenpwned.com. But now, Google has stepped in and has an even easier solution. Google’s new Password Checkup extension for their Chrome web browser makes it so you don’t even need to do the checking yourself. Just install the extension located here (https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/password-checkup/pncabnpcffmalkkjpajodfhijclecjno) and it will run in the corner of your window and do your checking for you. Whenever it sees you using a password that has been is part of one of those giant hacker password lists it will alert you to the danger and ask if you want to use a different password.
Staying safe on the internet isn’t always easy what with so many bad actors out there hoping to spot even the smallest slip up. But using tools like Password Managers and this new Password Checkup extension Google has released will help you keep your passwords out of hackers’ hands.
If you think you have been hacked, or you think your computer might have caught a virus, bring it over to Computer Repair in Tyler. We have the tools to give it a clean bill of health. Even better, all month long we are offering our virus removal service for free when you come in to have other computer work done. See our video below for more details:
Today is Safer Internet Day! One of the most dangerous things you can do on the internet is reuse passwords on multiple sites across the internet. Reusing a password makes you a target for hackers for two reasons:
1. First, let’s say a hacker guesses your password or a website you login to has a security hole and they are somehow able to obtain your username and password. That same hacker, if her or she is smart, will at least try that same username and password combo on other popular sites. Maybe they got your password through a flaw on a small time cooking recipe site, not big deal right? But if you used that same combo for your bank account, you could quickly be in financial trouble!
2. If you only had to worry about one hacker, that would be one thing. But today, hackers are just as well connected across the internet as any of us are. Your one stolen password will almost certainly end up complied into a massive, mindbogglingly large list of passwords stolen from millions of users across thousands of websites. Maybe the one person who figured out your one password will be a bit lazy. Maybe they’ll only try a few sites and give up. Once your password gets into one of these massive lists, you’ll have an entire army of hackers, and their special automated tools, trying your password on every site. Between new hackers coming along and new automatic tools that make use of these lists, you’ll never be safe using that same username and password combo again.
With all the scariness surrounding passwords and hackers, what can you do to protect yourself?
Well, one thing we highly recommend is that you stop reusing password across different sites. This sounds hard, right? It means you’ll need a different for every site you visit. The way to do this without it become a chore is to use a password manager like 1Password or Last Pass. These programs help you store your passwords securely on your computer and help suggest new passwords for every site you visit. Often times, these programs will pop up like magic and help you fill in your unique password for every site you visit. Not only are you more secure, logging in to site becomes easier as well.
Another thing we recommend you do is check to see if any of your previous passwords are in any of these giant list hacker compile. Previously, the easier way to do this was to go to haveibeenpwned.com. But now, Google has stepped in and has an even easier solution. Google’s new Password Checkup extension for their Chrome web browser makes it so you don’t even need to do the checking yourself. Just install the extension located here (https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/password-checkup/pncabnpcffmalkkjpajodfhijclecjno) and it will run in the corner of your window and do your checking for you. Whenever it sees you using a password that has been is part of one of those giant hacker password lists it will alert you to the danger and ask if you want to use a different password.
Staying safe on the internet isn’t always easy what with so many bad actors out there hoping to spot even the smallest slip up. But using tools like Password Managers and this new Password Checkup extension Google has released will help you keep your passwords out of hackers’ hands.
If you think you have been hacked, or you think your computer might have caught a virus, bring it over to Computer Repair in Tyler. We have the tools to give it a clean bill of health. Even better, all month long we are offering our virus removal service for free when you come in to have other computer work done. See our video below for more details: