I recently spoke to a group where every attendee had at least some of their emails and passwords that had been breached.
If you want to check to see if you have been compromised, head over to https://haveibeenpawned.com/ published by Troy Hunt. Based on the largest data breaches in history, Troy took the data and made it searchable as a service to the public. Here you can securely input your email address and passwords to see if you’ve been breached. If you have been breached, don’t panic. Here’s what to do.
First
- IMMEDIATELY STOP using the passwords found on this list. Change them to be longer and more unique.
- As for the email addresses, start using a different email address for your login credentials. If you continue to use the same email address for logins, the hacker has half of your login information already
Second
- Download a password manager. Some are free and all have paid options.Below are some of the most popular:
- Using any of these is much better than manually trying to keep up with all of the passwords. But keep in mind… you still need to remember the main password you create to get into each manager. This is encrypted, so the companies cannot help if you forget it.
- Each password manager has the ability to change/update passwords, so if you’ve used the same one on multiple sites, it makes changing them to be unique easier.
Third
- Start using two factor authentication (2FA). If you bank online, most likely, you’re already using it. Here is how 2FA works. When you log into a site, a code is sent to your smart phone and you need to enter the unique code prior to the final site entry. This helps because even if your password is breached, it’s unlikely that both your computer and smart phone will be hacked at the same time. Another form of 2FA is when they ask a question, to which only you should know the answer, when you login.
If you’re interested in learning more, send an email to jnay@jimnay.com or call us at 615-443-4842.
All the best,
Jim Nay
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