Frustration continues to mount among internet security experts over a habit most of us have that remains one of the most dangerous in all of cyberspace. Do you do it?
It's the first line of defense that keeps you from becoming a victim of cybercrime, yet many people are passé about their passwords.
"I mean most people use the same password for everything and yet that is probably the worse thing you can do," says Marian Merritt, Norton Internet Safety Advocate.
Even with smartphones or other mobile devices, where getting past numeric keyboards require a second step, too many people keep their passwords overly simple, even when only four digits are required.
"The most common is 0000, 1234 and 2580 which is a straight shot down the center of the keypad," Merritt said.
Merritt's best advice is to change your passwords frequently. Also, make them unique and complex like using the first letters of a phrase like, "I want to go to Bermuda."
"So I would do 'I,W...the number 2' and so on," Merritt said. "Now I have a phrase. I can remember that, something meaningful to me."
She also recommends using password managers offered by most web browsers.
"It encrypts your password. So, no longer are you actually typing it in, you have it automatically into password fields for you," Merritt said.
Most anti-virus software offers password protection features.
How often do you change your password? Do you try to have different passwords for different accounts? Have you ever had an account hacked? Leave your comments below.
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