PureVPN Celebrates World Password Day 2019, Asks Netizens to 'Layer Up'
World Password Day serves as the perfect reminder for people to review the password security of their online accounts.
HONG KONG, May 3, 2019 (Newswire.com) - World Password Day reminds netizens annually about the importance of passwords, but the vast majority still aren't convinced. Twenty-eight percent of people never change their passwords, while 68 percent reuse passwords across multiple accounts, according to a study by Linkoping University.
With World Password Day 2019 just a day away, PureVPN is empowering people through their campaign to better protect their online accounts by strengthening their existing passwords and adding an extra authentication factor.
Why Are Passwords so Important?
Javelin’s 2018 Identity Fraud Report reveals that 16.7 million Americans fell victim to identity theft in 2017, which goes to show that cybercrime isn’t going away any time soon. Passwords are still the first line of defense against hackers, but many people take them for granted and realize their importance when it’s too late.
While selecting strong, unique and complex passwords is a must-have, they are just the first step in the right direction and can’t offer adequate protection alone. Simple technologies like multi-factor authentication, also referred to as multi-step verification, should be used in conjunction with them to better secure online accounts.
Four Tips for Strengthen Passwords
PureVPN recommends keeping the following password security tips in mind while selecting new passwords:
- The Longer, the Better – Passwords must be at least 12 to 16 characters in length because the longer they are, the longer it will take to crack them.
- Complexity is Invaluable – Including uppercase and lowercase letters, as well as symbols and numbers, make passwords difficult to guess.
- Focus on Unpredictability – Avoid using predictable words, dictionary words and references to popular movies, games or TV shows. Moreover, the passwords shouldn’t contain personal information of any kind.
- Unique, Unique and Unique – Use unique passwords across all accounts because reusing a single password allows hackers to gain complete access to an individual’s online life.
Remembering passwords can be a pain, which is why netizens should use password managers like LastPass or Passack.
#LayerUp with Multi-Factor Authentication
Multi-factor authentication provides an extra layer of cybersecurity protection to online accounts by asking for a second authentication factor besides a password. This could be a single-use-code delivered via an app or scanning a fingerprint on the phone.
Many banking, social media, and email sites now have multi-factor authentication available in their security settings, so make sure you turn this feature on to put the brakes on identity theft, as well as other cybercrimes.
Source: PureVPN
