Last updated on June 23, 2020
Photo by Goran Ivos on Unsplash
162 million emails, usernames, and hashed passwords were breached in 2018.
While data breaches are a dime a dozen today, this does not mean you have to be a victim of one. Breaches are an ever-growing problem with no quick fix. We have very little control of our data once it’s been collected from us…voluntarily or involuntarily.
With a bit of effort, we can carefully choose to whom we give our data as well as protect it once given. Here are some simple methods to protect your data:
- Avoid reusing passwords
- Changing passwords quarterly
- Use password managers to generate strong/random passwords
- Use passphrases instead of passwords.
- Use Virtual Private Network (VPN) when browsing the internet
You can easily determine if any of your accounts been breached (and reported) Simply visit HaveIBeenPwned.com and enter your email to check. If you find you have breached accounts, you will want to quickly secure them with new, strong passwords and examine your other accounts that may have the same or similar login credentials. It would a good idea to check your credit reports as well…the folks buying your data are in it for money…your money.
At the end of the day, following the methods mentioned above can reduce the impact of a data breach when it happens.
“When it comes to privacy and
accountability, people always demand the former for themselves and the latter
for everyone else.”
― David Brin
References:
Image
HaveIBeenPwned
HaveIBeenPwnedTwitter
TheRegister
Welivesecurity
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