There is no feeling that is worse than getting that notification that your account has been accessed from a location that is not yours. Knowing that your password was compromised releases a whole slew of emotions.
Even with the complexity required for most passwords today, the chances that your password can be stolen is still very real. One of the biggest problems today is using the same password for each login you have. While it is very convenient for you to be able to remember your password, using it across multiple sites gives hackers easy access to all of your information, not just one site.
What to Do if Your Password Has Been Stolen
The very first thing you need to do if you discover that your password has been stolen is to change your password immediately. Changing your password at least protects hackers from gaining further information about your account and stops them from having continued access to your personal information.
Another thing to do is to change any logins that use the same password as the one that was originally stolen. Hackers will try to access multiple accounts with the same password, so it is imperative that you get rid of that password across all accounts immediately to prevent further security breaches.
Password Security
The number one way to protect yourself and to stay safe online is to never, ever reuse your password. An estimated 90% of people use the same password across all of their sites. After all, most people can remember one password. It is not as simple when there is a completely different password for each individual login you have.
However, it is essential that you don’t share between sites. If a hacker discovers your password for your credit card company, not only can they go in and make account changes or even have access to make charges, but they likely are then able to see where you do your banking. For most people, that password is the same, so the next thing you know, they now have access to your bank account. I’m sure you can see where this is going.
Having a different password for each site can be frustrating and hard to keep track of, but it doesn’t have to mean that you need to try to remember a million passwords, or carry around a list of passwords wherever you go, which can also lead to a security breach.
While we’re on the importance of having different passwords, let’s also talk about the importance of not using very easy-to-guess passwords that can be quickly figured out. Think you are super smart using your dog’s name and your house number, think again.
All it takes is for the hacker to look you up on social media and see your interests. House numbers are very common in passwords, as are pet’s names. If they see your puppy Milo plastered all over your social media, chances are they are going to try that first. And since everything requires special characters now, using Mil@ isn’t going to cut it either. It needs to be something that is not easy to guess. The best passwords are randomly generated passwords. If you have an Apple computer, it will automatically generate a new, totally random, series of numbers, letters, and special characters for each password.
Password Managers
Along with the password generator, Apple products also offer to store your passwords on their internal password manager. A password manager can be a great tool in helping keep all of your security information safe, but be careful when it comes to using an already built-in system on the computer.
Password Keeper app is one example of a password manager that can help keep track of all of your passwords so your personal information doesn’t get shared on the dark web.
Email Scams
One of the most popular ways to get hacked is to fall for an email phishing scam. These hackers send emails that look like they are from friends and family or from reputable companies. Most people know not to give away information to a foreign prince who is only trying to give you several million dollars, you just need your social security number and date of birth to claim it.
But when you receive an email that states you need to login to your Netflix account and update your payment options, that can totally seem legit. The best thing to do it not to click on any links inside of emails unless you are sure where they are from. If there is a link that you believe might be legitimate, check the sender’s email address to ensure they are really where they say they are from.
Passwords Make All The Difference
If your password has been stolen and your account is now compromised, take a deep breath before attacking the situation. Once you’ve done that, immediately change all active passwords you have out there.
A security breach does not mean game over for all of your personal information, but it does mean you need to move quickly to secure what you can and to start working through anything that needs to be changed with your compromised accounts.
