Using one password for all your online access might be simple, but it’s also risky. If the password ends up in the hands of a hacker, he would have access to data from any programme used, warns Germany’s Federal Office for Information Security (BSI). Thus, users should be sure to make up new passwords for each online service they use.
An actual case shows why password safety is needed. Unknown parties managed to get into the accounts of 90,000 users of Sony’s Playstation network this year, partially by using access data they had obviously lifted from other websites.
Passwords should be at least eight characters long; 20 if possible, with a wi-fi connection using WPA or WPA-2 encryption. Don’t use words that can be found in dictionaries, nor names of family members or family pets, since they can be easily guessed. Ideally, the password should contain special symbols and numerals, advises the BSI. Pull data from your browser’s cache [Read more...]





