With the increased frequency and destructiveness of cyberattacks, it’s a wonder that people still depend on passwords to protect their personal data. With hundreds of data breaches occurring every year, it’s important you take even further precautions than just a really strong password.
Here are some tips and alternatives you can try to buff up your privacy protection online!
Multi-Factor Authentication
Multi-factor authentication acts as an extra layer of protection for your passwords. It is a feature offered by many websites and apps nowadays and allows you to verify your identity with an additional piece of information when you log in to an account. You can use an app like Google Authenticator, which allows you to verify your identity with an additional one-time security code. Some other apps and sites with 2FA (Two-Factor authentication) allow you to use a fingerprint, or piece of personal information, like a zip code, or personal question.
Do you know how exactly hackers can get a hold of your passwords? Check out this article to find out!
Store your Passwords in a safe place
It can be tempting to write all your passwords on a piece of paper, or on a document online, however, if the wrong person gets their hands on it, it is game over for your online privacy.
Saving your passwords to your Google Account is not only convenient, but it’s also secure. Google encrypts all of your saved passwords, therefore making them completely indecipherable.
Google also offers Chrome Sync which saves your bookmarks, history, passwords, and other settings securely to your Google Account and allows you to access them from Chrome on any device, including the StartMeStick!
FixMeTip: Is your password strong enough? Check out our article outlining the worst passwords of 2020, HERE!
Written passwords may be on their way out entirely…
All things considered, using a basic alpha-numeric password may not be entirely enough to protect you. Not only are they are hard to remember, but also hard to come up with.
Tech companies are now thinking up alternatives that are even more difficult to crack! Here are some innovative ideas that will keep your accounts safe and secure.
Personal USB Key – Tech giant Google recently developed a personal password USB key, the Google Titan Security Key. It acts as an extra layer of protection to all of your Google accounts when plugged into your device. We imagine more tech companies will soon follow.
Single-Use Passwords – Single-use or one-time passwords are just that – they are generated randomly, and used only once. Often used for secondary authentication after your password, you may have used these for online banking transactions or managing your accounts.
Public-Key Cryptography – Not as common, public-key cryptography requires two digital “keys”, a public and a private, to encrypt and decrypt files. For example, Bitcoin uses this type of security.
Biometric Authentications – Already implemented by Apple, these include identifiable unique characteristics such as your fingerprint, retina, and even new technology to recognize your ear!
Virtual Use Token – In combination with a secondary device, the scanning, and matching of a digital image is often employed. Companies such as Wordfence provide a security service for many standard website logins.
What other methods are you implementing to keep your passwords safe? Let us know in the comments below!