Protecting your data online is important, as much as protecting the doors and windows of your home (or almost). And if we choose to do it with password simple, like “123456” or “password”, cybercriminals will be able to break our “digital lock” in just a few seconds. To repair, FRITZ! helps us with a short guide with some advice on how to choose a secure passwordto best protect yours data and yours online identity.
How to choose a secure password, Fritz’s guide!
A long and complex password It might be safe, but the tendency of users to reuse them increases the risk, no matter how many fonts you use. The solution suggested by the Fritz experts! is to choose passwords “easy to remember” but “hard to guess”. You have two options: one short and complex password of 8-12 characters, using a easily memorized phrase and the first letters of each word, with the addition of numbers e Special characters. Or, one long but simpler password of 20-25 characters, by selecting words from the dictionary and separating them with spaces or special characters. But be careful: nothing sequences of adjacent letters o increasing/decreasing numbers.
Another tip: never use the same one password for more than one account. In this way, in the hypothesis that a password is violatedthe others accounts remain protected from unauthorized access. To do this, you can take advantage of un password manager. This way you must remember only the master access key. We use Bitwarden, which is free, but most antiviruses and even browsers offer built-in solutions.
The use oftwo-factor authentication helps protect accounts. In case of loss of a passwordthis security addition protects your account from unauthorized access. Also, check that your accounts are secure. L’Hasso Plattner Institute offers a useful tool, theIdentity Leak Checkerwhich allows you to check whether your personal data has been compromised during cyber attacks. Through this tool, you can find out if your email address or password has already been stolen and made public.
Following these simple guidelines allows you to increase your security just enough to avoid most attacks. And remember to change the passwords not only of your accounts, but also of the wifi access points at home: prevent anyone from entering your network. Safety is made up of small attentions, but they must be taken seriously.
