Security tips to protect yourself from hackers

Protect your passwords from cyber criminals, since that’s what they care about most.

Understand how hackers work

Forget about those hackers in movies trying to crack the code on someone’s computer to get their top-secret files. The hackers responsible for data breaches usually start by targeting companies, rather than specific individuals. They want to get data from as many people as possible so they can use, resell, or leverage it to make money. It all starts with getting your password.

It's not personal. Not at first.

Hackers don’t really care whose personal information and credentials they can get, as long as they can get a lot of it. That’s why cyber criminals often target massive companies with millions of users. These hackers look for a security weakness — the digital equivalent of leaving a door unlocked or window open. They only need to find one door or window to get inside. Then they steal or copy as much personal information as possible.

Once they get your data, cyber criminals can start their real work. We don’t always know what they intend to do with the data, but usually they will try to find a way to profit from it. The effects on you might not be immediate. But they can be very serious.

All types of data can be valuable.

Some data — like banking information, bank card numbers, government-issued ID numbers, and PIN numbers — is valuable because it can be used to steal the victim’s identity or withdraw money. Email addresses and passwords are also valuable because hackers can try them on other accounts. All sorts of data can be valuable in some way because it can be sold on the dark web for a profit or kept for some future use.

Common passwords make a hacker’s work easy.

Hackers aren’t actually guessing people’s passwords. To crack into accounts, they use automated programs that enter hundreds of popular passwords in just a few seconds. That’s why it’s important to avoid using the same passwords that everyone else does.

• 123456 and password are the most commonly used passwords. Don’t use them.
• Switching a letter for a symbol (p@ssw0rd!) is an obvious trick hackers know well.
• Avoid favorite sports teams or pop culture references. Use something more obscure.
• Don’t use a single word like sunshine, monkey, or football. Using a phrase or sentence as your password is stronger.
• Don’t use common number patterns like 111111, abc123, or 654321.
• Adding a number or piece of punctuation at the end doesn’t make your password stronger.

Learn how to avoid bad password habits that make a hacker’s work easy.

5 myths about password managers

Password managers are the most recommended tool by security experts to protect your online credentials from hackers. But many people are still hesitant to use them. Here’s why password managers are safe, secure, and your best defense against password-hungry cyber criminals.

What is a password manager?

Think of it like a safe for your passwords. When you need something inside the safe, you unlock it. Password managers work the same for your online credentials.

You create a single, super-strong password, which acts like a key. Install the password manager app on your phone, computer, browser, and other devices. Your passwords are securely stored inside. Anytime you need to log in to an account, unlock your password manager and retrieve your login info.

Myth 1: All types of data can be valuable.

Think of it like a safe for your passwords. When you need something inside the safe, you unlock it. Password managers work the same for your online credentials.

Reputable password managers take extra steps to lock down your info and keep it safe from cyber criminals.

A good password manager:

• 123456 and password are the most commonly used passwords. Don’t use them.
• Switching a letter for a symbol (p@ssw0rd!) is an obvious trick hackers know well.
• Avoid favorite sports teams or pop culture references. Use something more obscure.
• Don’t use a single word like sunshine, monkey, or football. Using a phrase or sentence as your password is stronger.
• Don’t use common number patterns like 111111, abc123, or 654321.
• Adding a number or piece of punctuation at the end doesn’t make your password stronger.

Myth 2: Password managers aren’t 100% secure, so I shouldn’t use one.

No tool can completely guarantee your online safety. Even the most elaborate lock can be broken into. Yet we still lock our doors to our houses and cars.

The alternative to using a password manager is to rely on your own memory to remember all your credentials. This inevitably leads to recycling passwords or using variations — a bad habit that hackers love.

Password managers can be such an effective security tool because they help us improve bad habits. With a password manager installed on your computer and phone, it’s a lot easier to take your logins everywhere so you can use unique, strong passwords on every account.

Myth 3: Storing all my passwords in one place makes them vulnerable to hackers.

Password managers don’t store all your credentials together in one place. Any data you store in a password manager — passwords, logins, security questions, and other sensitive info — is securely encrypted. Even if the password manager gets hacked, cyber criminals would not be able to see your logins.

The only way to access your data is with a single primary password that only you know. You use this password to unlock the manager on your computer, phone, or other devices. Once it’s unlocked, a password manager can fill in your logins to websites and apps.

Myth 4: Remembering all my passwords is safer than trusting technology

Our memories sometimes fail us. Ever clicked a “forgot password?” link? It’s very common to use variations of the same password to make them easier to remember. With a password manager, you don’t need to remember any of your credentials. It can be installed on all your devices and will auto-fill your passwords for you. Once you get in the habit of using one, you’ll no longer have to worry about forgetting your credentials.

Myth 5: It’s a huge pain to set up a password manager.

Sure, it takes time to log all your credentials in a password manager. But you don’t need to do it all at once. You can always start small and change just a few passwords at a time. Try installing a password manager and creating new, unique passwords for the websites you visit most frequently. Over time, as you log in to other sites,

Find out how to mitigate the risks of identity theft to prevent financial loss.

Take steps to protect your identity

Forget about those hackers in movies trying to crack the code on someone’s computer to get their top-secret files. The hackers responsible for data breaches usually start by targeting companies, rather than specific individuals. They want to get data from as many people as possible so they can use, resell, or leverage it to make money. It all starts with getting your password.

It's not personal. Not at first.

Hackers don’t really care whose personal information and credentials they can get, as long as they can get a lot of it. That’s why cyber criminals often target massive companies with millions of users. These hackers look for a security weakness — the digital equivalent of leaving a door unlocked or window open. They only need to find one door or window to get inside. Then they steal or copy as much personal information as possible.

Once they get your data, cyber criminals can start their real work. We don’t always know what they intend to do with the data, but usually they will try to find a way to profit from it. The effects on you might not be immediate. But they can be very serious.

All types of data can be valuable.

Some data — like banking information, bank card numbers, government-issued ID numbers, and PIN numbers — is valuable because it can be used to steal the victim’s identity or withdraw money. Email addresses and passwords are also valuable because hackers can try them on other accounts. All sorts of data can be valuable in some way because it can be sold on the dark web for a profit or kept for some future use.

Lock down your accounts to keep your information out of the wrong hands.

How to create strong passwords

Forget about those hackers in movies trying to crack the code on someone’s computer to get their top-secret files. The hackers responsible for data breaches usually start by targeting companies, rather than specific individuals. They want to get data from as many people as possible so they can use, resell, or leverage it to make money. It all starts with getting your password.

It's not personal. Not at first.

Hackers don’t really care whose personal information and credentials they can get, as long as they can get a lot of it. That’s why cyber criminals often target massive companies with millions of users. These hackers look for a security weakness — the digital equivalent of leaving a door unlocked or window open. They only need to find one door or window to get inside. Then they steal or copy as much personal information as possible.

Once they get your data, cyber criminals can start their real work. We don’t always know what they intend to do with the data, but usually they will try to find a way to profit from it. The effects on you might not be immediate. But they can be very serious.

All types of data can be valuable.

Some data — like banking information, bank card numbers, government-issued ID numbers, and PIN numbers — is valuable because it can be used to steal the victim’s identity or withdraw money. Email addresses and passwords are also valuable because hackers can try them on other accounts. All sorts of data can be valuable in some way because it can be sold on the dark web for a profit or kept for some future use.

Lock down your accounts to keep your information out of the wrong hands.

What to do after a data breach

Forget about those hackers in movies trying to crack the code on someone’s computer to get their top-secret files. The hackers responsible for data breaches usually start by targeting companies, rather than specific individuals. They want to get data from as many people as possible so they can use, resell, or leverage it to make money. It all starts with getting your password.

It's not personal. Not at first.

Hackers don’t really care whose personal information and credentials they can get, as long as they can get a lot of it. That’s why cyber criminals often target massive companies with millions of users. These hackers look for a security weakness — the digital equivalent of leaving a door unlocked or window open. They only need to find one door or window to get inside. Then they steal or copy as much personal information as possible.

Once they get your data, cyber criminals can start their real work. We don’t always know what they intend to do with the data, but usually they will try to find a way to profit from it. The effects on you might not be immediate. But they can be very serious.

All types of data can be valuable.

Some data — like banking information, bank card numbers, government-issued ID numbers, and PIN numbers — is valuable because it can be used to steal the victim’s identity or withdraw money. Email addresses and passwords are also valuable because hackers can try them on other accounts. All sorts of data can be valuable in some way because it can be sold on the dark web for a profit or kept for some future use.

Lock down your accounts to keep your information out of the wrong hands.

Take to protect your online identity

Forget about those hackers in movies trying to crack the code on someone’s computer to get their top-secret files. The hackers responsible for data breaches usually start by targeting companies, rather than specific individuals. They want to get data from as many people as possible so they can use, resell, or leverage it to make money. It all starts with getting your password.

It's not personal. Not at first.

Hackers don’t really care whose personal information and credentials they can get, as long as they can get a lot of it. That’s why cyber criminals often target massive companies with millions of users. These hackers look for a security weakness — the digital equivalent of leaving a door unlocked or window open. They only need to find one door or window to get inside. Then they steal or copy as much personal information as possible.

Once they get your data, cyber criminals can start their real work. We don’t always know what they intend to do with the data, but usually they will try to find a way to profit from it. The effects on you might not be immediate. But they can be very serious.

All types of data can be valuable.

Some data — like banking information, bank card numbers, government-issued ID numbers, and PIN numbers — is valuable because it can be used to steal the victim’s identity or withdraw money. Email addresses and passwords are also valuable because hackers can try them on other accounts. All sorts of data can be valuable in some way because it can be sold on the dark web for a profit or kept for some future use.