Most account break-ins are not clever hacking. They happen because a password was reused, guessed or tricked out of someone. A few habits make a big difference.
The habits
- Use a different password for every account. If one site is breached, a reused password lets someone try it everywhere else.
- Use a password manager. It creates and remembers strong passwords for you, so you only remember one.
- Make them long. A long phrase of several unrelated words is harder to guess than a short, tricky one.
- Turn on two-step sign-in for email, banking and anything important. An authenticator app is generally safer than text messages.
- Secure your email first. Email can reset your other passwords, so protect it most.
- Never share a code. If someone calls or messages asking for a code sent to your phone, it is a scam.
Signs an account may be compromised
- Password reset emails you did not request
- Sign-in alerts from places you have not been
- Friends saying they got strange messages from you
If that happens, change the password from a device you trust, turn on two-step sign-in and check for forwarding rules or unknown devices in the account settings.
Want help setting it up?
It takes a bit of effort the first time, and we can do it with you. We set up a password manager, turn on two-step sign-in and check your devices. See our device protection service.