January is a Great Time to Review Passwords

Monday, January 17th, 2022 -- 8:15 AM

(Raymond Neupert, WRN) January is a great time to review your online passwords and consider if they're safe enough or if they've been breached.

A new year means new data breaches and the possibility that your passwords might have been cracked. Consumer protection director Michael Domke says you should consider using a password manager on your computer and phone, rather than reusing passwords. "Humans are creatures of pattern. With so many different sites and places that you go needing a password, it gets tough to remember all of them."

Domke says one really good decision is to put your most important accounts like your email and Facebook account behind two-factor authentication. "There are apps and other devices that can help you do that and make a little bit stronger and help protect your information."

Domke says even cursory knowledge about you could let people past basic security questions. "Some of those that are generalized and asked nowadays, even close friends or family might be able to get some of those. So pick a question that isn't just easy for you to answer, make it hard for somebody else to answer."

Remember to never reuse passwords if you can help it, and consider getting a throw-away email account to sign up for websites you're not going to pay attention to in the future.

Feel free to contact us with questions and/or comments.