This week's news that a
Russian crime ring has amassed some 1.2 billion
username and password combinations makes now a good time to review ways
to protect yourself online.
The hacking misdeeds were described in a
New York Times story based on the findings of Hold Security, a Milwaukee
firm that has a history of uncovering online security breaches.
Hold
Security, called the data "the largest known collection of stolen
Internet credentials." Hold's researchers did not identify the origins
of the data or name the victim websites, citing nondisclosure
agreements. The company also said it didn't want to name companies whose
websites are still vulnerable to hacking, according to the Times
report.
Hold Security didn't immediately respond to inquiries from The Associated Press.
If
there's reason to believe any of your passwords might have been
compromised, change them immediately. One of the best things you can do
is to make sure your passwords are strong. Here are seven ways to
fortify them:
1. Make your password long. The recommended minimum is
eight characters, but 14 is better and 25 is even better than that.
Some services have character limits on passwords, though.
2. Use
combinations of letters and numbers, upper and lower case and symbols
such as the exclamation mark. Some services won't let you do all of
that, but try to vary it as much as you can. "PaSsWoRd!43" is far better
than "password43."
3. Avoid words that are in dictionaries, even if
you add numbers and symbols. There are programs that can crack
passwords by going through databases of known words. One trick is to add
numbers in the middle of a word - as in "pas123swor456d" instead of
"password123456." Another is to think of a sentence and use just the
first letter of each word - as in "tqbfjotld" for "the quick brown fox
jumps over the lazy dog."
4. Substitute characters. For instance, use the number zero instead of the letter O, or replace the S with a dollar sign.
5. Avoid
easy-to-guess words, even if they aren't in the dictionary. You
shouldn't use your name, company name or hometown, for instance. Avoid
pets and relatives' names, too. Likewise, avoid things that can be
looked up, such as your birthday or ZIP code. But you might use that as
part of a complex password. Try reversing your ZIP code or phone number
and insert that into a string of letters. As a reminder, you should also
avoid "password" as the password, or consecutive keys on the keyboard,
such as "1234" or "qwerty."
6. Never reuse passwords on other
accounts - with two exceptions. Over the years, I've managed to create
hundreds of accounts. Many are for one-time use, such as when a
newspaper website requires me to register to read the full story. It's
OK to use simple passwords and repeat them in those types of situations,
as long as the password isn't unlocking features that involve credit
cards or posting on a message board. That will let you focus on keeping
passwords to the more essential accounts strong.
The other
exception is to log in using a centralized sign-on service such as
Facebook Connect. Hulu, for instance, gives you the option of using your
Facebook username and password instead of creating a separate one for
the video site. This technically isn't reusing your password, but a
matter of Hulu borrowing the log-in system Facebook already has in
place. The account information isn't stored with Hulu. Facebook merely
tells Hulu's computers that it's you. Of course, if you do this, it's
even more important to keep your Facebook password secure.
7. Some
services such as Gmail even give you the option of using two passwords
when you use a particular computer or device for the first time. If you
have that feature turned on, the service will send a text message with a
six-digit code to your phone when you try to use Gmail from an
unrecognized device. You'll need to enter that for access, and then the
code expires. It's optional, and it's a pain - but it could save you
from grief later on. Hackers won't be able to access the account without
possessing your phone. Turn it on by going to the account's security
settings.
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