Passwords and Usernames
Jessica Cafferata, JD, CFP®, CDFA®
At Callan Capital, we are committed to cybersecurity awareness, education, and training. It is our hope that the following is helpful for you, your family, and friends as a resource for cybercrime prevention, knowledge, and mitigation. This is part of a monthly cyber awareness series aimed at helping our clients avoid cybercrime.
Passwords and Usernames
1.Consider using a password manager to generate complex, unique passwords, and usernames for every login
2.Constantly change your passwords and usernames
3.Use e-mail aliases
4.Delete e-mails regularly
Complex passwords and usernames are twelve or more randomized characters, include symbols, and capital and lower-case letters. Constantly change your usernames and passwords including changing your password manager password and the password you use to login to your computer. Many password managers can automatically change your password on multiple websites. Set a calendar reminder to change your usernames too or see if your password manager offers reminders for usernames. Some examples of password and username manager companies are Last Pass and 1Password. You can even give emergency access to your Last Pass or 1 Password account to your loved ones.
A unique login ID for every site makes a cybercriminals job that much harder. Using the same user ID for multiple sites is one less item for a criminal to crack. Through malware, trickery, or even via automated password and username guessing tools, cybercriminals illegally gain access to passwords and usernames. From there, cybercriminals add your stolen password and username to a network of computers infected by malware and under the control of the cybercriminal to automate trying your credentials on multiple sites at once.
Consider creating e-mail aliases. Every time you sign up on a site that requires an e-mail address, create a unique e-mail address for that site. Create a filter that sends any e-mail addressed to that alias to that site’s folder within your e-mail account. Do not ever re-use the alias. This creates an easy means to recognize a breach because if another site starts sending e-mail, then you know that either your e-mail was shared or that it was hacked. Many fraudsters recognize aliases and will rid their distribution lists of these accounts because they feel that these users are more security and privacy focused. Finally, regularly delete your e-mails in your inbox. Consider the data in your e-mail and the risk it poses.
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Disclaimer: Callan Capital does not provide individual tax or legal advice, nor does it provide financing services. Clients should review planned financial transactions and wealth transfer strategies with their own tax and legal advisors. Callan Capital outsources to lending and financial institutions that directly provide our clients with, securities-based financing, residential and commercial financing and cash management services. For more information, please refer to our most recent Form ADV Part 2A which may be found at www.adviserinfo.sec.gov.