Personal Accounts and Information
Protecting Personal Accounts and Information
Cyberattacks are on the rise, and reusing the same 8 character password for multiple accounts puts you at risk. If you think you're not at risk, think again. Millions of people are targeted everyday with sophisticated attacks designed to access your online information, steal your identity, and empty your bank accounts. How can you stop them? With these four things:
Passwords
Follow our password advice. Change all your online accounts to unique, long passwords. The longer the better! And never reuse the same (or very similar) password for multiple accounts.
Password Managers
Use a password manager (here are our recommendations!) These make it super easy to create, store, and auto-fill unique, complex, and loooooong passwords everywhere you have an account.
2-Factor Authentication
Turn on 2-factor (also called multi-factor or 2-step) authentication on EVERY account that offers it. YES–EVERY ACCOUNT. Seems overwhelming? Start with your Email account first! This is because some 2-factor systems email you a code, and password reset systems usually email you a password link. Protect these email accounts at all costs because the protection of all your other accounts often depends on it!
Put a PIN on your mobile account
Your mobile phone is tied to your identity. Think about it–your financial insistutions or utilities might confirm your identity by the phone number you're calling from, or they might text you a code to the phone number associated with the account to confirm your identity. But it's pretty easy for cybercriminals to do a "SIM swap" and steal your mobile phone number. They then start recieving all your text messages and can make phone calls to your institutions posing as you!
Credit Freezing
If you suspect your personal information has been compromised, consider credit freezing. Freezing your credit is a highly effective way to prevent identity theft. By freezing your credit, you limit access to your credit report, making it more difficult for identity thieves to open new accounts in your name.
For more information on how to freeze your credit, including the steps involved and the potential impact on your credit score, please visit USA.gov/credit-freeze.
Have a Healthy Dose of Skepticism!
Get an email, text message, or even a phone call from your bank, your email provider, the IRS, or even "tech support", insisting your account is hacked and you need to confirm details before they'll reinstate your access? BE SKEPTICAL! Hang up and use the official phone number on the back of your credit card, financial statement, or official website to call and verify the claim. Chances are it's a scam.