We always hear about people getting ‘hacked,’ and can imagine some computer genius breaking in to the coding of our computer itself. In reality, it is much simpler. Miscreants looking to steal personal information, spam your address book, or establish viruses merely need to know your password.
This is why you should NEVER use the following as passwords, because in the age of extensive online presence, many of these items are extremely easy for hackers to find, with a little bit of time and research:
- Your Name or Nickname
- The Names of your Spouse/Kids/Pets
- Your Birthdate/Anniversary/Birthdates of Family Members or Spouse
- Any Part of your Address or Telephone Number
- Any Word or Phrase Associated with your Favorite Hobbies/Books/Sports Teams/Movies
Essentially, avoid anything that could be found in public record, on your website, or your Facebook profile. Choosing different passwords for each major account will also decrease your chances of hacking spreading to multiple platforms. Additionally, if you write your password down somewhere, make sure it is not easily found.
Stay safe online!
By ITA, Samantha Abernathey