Stay Secure with these 5 Password Tips

You've seen it in the news: accounts like The Associated Press getting hacked on Twitter, passwords stolen from websites like LinkedIn, a global attack on WordPress, and the list goes on. When LinkedIn's passwords were stolen last year, users' passwords were posted online. Let's just say that the list of passwords reminded me of this scene from the movie Spaceballs:



Unfortunately when users' LinkedIn passwords were leaked last year, we saw a lot passwords similar to the combination for planet Druidia's air shield and President Skroob's luggage. Now, I know that every website out there seems to require a username and password and it's very tempting to use the same easy-to-remember password, but as you can see it's not secure. So, here are a few tips to create a more secure password:

1. Use a mix of uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols
2. Make sure it is at least 15 characters long
3. Do not include your name or username
4. Make sure its not similar to old passwords
5. Don't use keyboard patterns, sequential numbers or letters, or repeating characters

Some other things to keep in mind with passwords is that you should never write them down or email them. You should also not give your password to anyone - no company representative should ever ask for your password! If a company asks for your password, it is likely a scam. Ask yourself - did they call you or did you call them on a phone number you know is theirs? Are you sure that the email you're looking at is actually from that company? If you're not sure call or email the company using contact information you know is theirs.

If you do forget your password, all you need to do is make sure your email address is up-to-date because most websites have a forgot password link that will email you so you can change it. You've probably notice it on our website as well; however, we also have some additional security to help keep your account and your domains safe. Learn more about what we do to keep our customer's accounts safe on our security page.



This post was written by Robyn Norgan, who highly recommends Spaceballs if you haven't seen it yet! It's a family favorite!