5 Ways to Protect Your Accounts from Hackers

5 Ways to Protect Your Accounts from Hackers

Being online puts you and your data at risk, but there are ways you can minimize your risk and make a hacker’s job harder.

Whether it’s Imgur or Uber, new reports of data breaches and hacks seem to come out weekly. You may be tempted to go scorched-earth on your online presence, but deleting every account you have to prevent being hacked is impractical in today’s connected world. Yes, being online puts you and your data at risk, but there are ways you can minimize your risk and make a hacker’s job harder.

Here are four steps you can take to protect your accounts against hacks and data breaches.

  • Keep tabs on what sites may be compromised: Anywhere you have an account could potentially be hacked, so it’s good to stay in the know as to what sites have had breaches or data leaks. You can always do a quick Google, and the site Vigilante.PW maintains a searchable directory of reported hacks and data breaches. If you find a site you use has been compromised, it’s a good idea to change your password for that account.
  • Check whether your accounts have been compromised: The site Have I Been Pwned? is a free resource that allows you to see if an account of yours has been compromised (or “pwned,” an internet term meaning dominated or owned) in a data breach. HIBP collects data (email addresses and usernames, not passwords) from publicly leaked breaches and aggregates it to make it easy to search its database for your email or username. When you enter your email or username, it provides a list of breaches in which your account was found, listing the site, a short summary of the incident and the data that may have been compromised. If you find yourself “pwned,” you should change your passwords to not only the compromised account, but any account that shares that password and your email account as well.
  • Create strong passwords: By now, we should all know that “password1” and “12345678” are two of the easiest passwords to guess and the first hackers will try. Every account you have should use a different password and they should all be as strong as possible. Research shows one good option is long passwords (at least 12 characters) with at least two or three different types of characters (lowercase, uppercase, digits and symbols) put in unpredictable places – no capital letters at the beginning and no digits or symbols lumped at the end. Another good method is to combine partial 2-4 unrelated words together and mix in other types of characters. Your online banking and email accounts should have particularly strong passwords, as they hold your most valuable information.
  • Use a password manager: All of these random, secure passwords may be difficult to remember – it’s helpful to use a password manager like LastPass or Dashlane to keep track of them for you. Many password managers can even generate randomized strong passwords for you and run security audits to let you know when passwords are weak or used across multiple accounts.
  • Enable two-factor authentication: Many sites now offer two-factor authentication as a security measure. You log in with your username and password and are then asked to enter a validation code, usually sent by text message to your phone. In theory, this makes it more difficult for hackers to get in – even if they have your password, they would need the texted code.

About the Author

Jessica Davis is the Associate Content Editor for 1105 Media.

Featured

  • Video Surveillance Trends to Watch

    With more organizations adding newer capabilities to their surveillance systems, it’s always important to remember the “basics” of system configuration and deployment, as well as the topline benefits of continually emerging technologies like AI and the cloud. Read Now

  • New Report Reveals Top Trends Transforming Access Controller Technology

    Mercury Security, a provider in access control hardware and open platform solutions, has published its Trends in Access Controllers Report, based on a survey of over 450 security professionals across North America and Europe. The findings highlight the controller’s vital role in a physical access control system (PACS), where the device not only enforces access policies but also connects with readers to verify user credentials—ranging from ID badges to biometrics and mobile identities. With 72% of respondents identifying the controller as a critical or important factor in PACS design, the report underscores how the choice of controller platform has become a strategic decision for today’s security leaders. Read Now

  • Overwhelming Majority of CISOs Anticipate Surge in Cyber Attacks Over the Next Three Years

    An overwhelming 98% of chief information security officers (CISOs) expect a surge in cyber attacks over the next three years as organizations face an increasingly complex and artificial intelligence (AI)-driven digital threat landscape. This is according to new research conducted among 300 CISOs, chief information officers (CIOs), and senior IT professionals by CSC1, the leading provider of enterprise-class domain and domain name system (DNS) security. Read Now

  • ASIS International Introduces New ANSI-Approved Investigations Standard

    • Guard Services
  • Cloud Security Alliance Brings AI-Assisted Auditing to Cloud Computing

    The Cloud Security Alliance (CSA), the world’s leading organization dedicated to defining standards, certifications, and best practices to help ensure a secure cloud computing environment, today introduced an innovative addition to its suite of Security, Trust, Assurance and Risk (STAR) Registry assessments with the launch of Valid-AI-ted, an AI-powered, automated validation system. The new tool provides an automated quality check of assurance information of STAR Level 1 self-assessments using state-of-the-art LLM technology. Read Now

New Products

  • Camden CM-221 Series Switches

    Camden CM-221 Series Switches

    Camden Door Controls is pleased to announce that, in response to soaring customer demand, it has expanded its range of ValueWave™ no-touch switches to include a narrow (slimline) version with manual override. This override button is designed to provide additional assurance that the request to exit switch will open a door, even if the no-touch sensor fails to operate. This new slimline switch also features a heavy gauge stainless steel faceplate, a red/green illuminated light ring, and is IP65 rated, making it ideal for indoor or outdoor use as part of an automatic door or access control system. ValueWave™ no-touch switches are designed for easy installation and trouble-free service in high traffic applications. In addition to this narrow version, the CM-221 & CM-222 Series switches are available in a range of other models with single and double gang heavy-gauge stainless steel faceplates and include illuminated light rings.

  • HD2055 Modular Barricade

    Delta Scientific’s electric HD2055 modular shallow foundation barricade is tested to ASTM M50/P1 with negative penetration from the vehicle upon impact. With a shallow foundation of only 24 inches, the HD2055 can be installed without worrying about buried power lines and other below grade obstructions. The modular make-up of the barrier also allows you to cover wider roadways by adding additional modules to the system. The HD2055 boasts an Emergency Fast Operation of 1.5 seconds giving the guard ample time to deploy under a high threat situation.

  • Compact IP Video Intercom

    Viking’s X-205 Series of intercoms provide HD IP video and two-way voice communication - all wrapped up in an attractive compact chassis.