Keeping a Computer Secure - Password Etiquette

Sadly, fraud and crime are fairly rampant on the internet. Some of the biggest threats come from scammers, who will just try to rip you off, and other groups, who trade in stolen credit card and bank information. StopTheHacker.com did a study in early 2010, and located hundreds of websites where credit card numbers and paypal account information was sold for $2 to $40 per account or number. The market for this is booming, and consumers need to protect themselves.

In this entry, I will explain a few basic steps to help keep the front lines of your information safe... Anyone who wants to steal your data on the internet, will first need access to your account, or somewhere else they can get important information. Therefore, we will focus on the main line of defense there: your password. Your online data is generally very safe, provided that some basic precautions are followed. Most banks, as well as paypal are pretty good about making sure you have chosen a secure password. Nevertheless, it does not hurt to be aware.

Things that should never be a part of your password:
Your birthday
Any part of your name
Your Address
Your children

Someone with intent to steal your password can generally research many of the above items through publicly available internet databases. If it is a part of your password, you have already given an accomplished thief a good chance at guessing it.

In modern days, almost all websites that deal with monetary transactions will have a bad password lockout function. That is, if someone enters the wrong password a predetermined number of times, the account will lock up... usually for 15 to 30 minutes, and will not accept any more login attempts. This does a great job of combating programs that enter random passwords over and over again in hopes of getting it, but an added line of defense in the spirit of the random guess method of password hacking is to not use any words in your password that are contained inn a dictionary.

When it comes to what to do... What I personally use, and recommend to all of our clients is a 9 digit, randomly selected password that consists of lower case letters, upper case letters, and numbers. Following this pattern, there are billions of different possible combination's, and it is almost impossible to guess. It is beneficial to change your password every 90 days.

Lastly, it is a good idea to keep different passwords for your most important accounts. Many people use the same email address and password for everything, and if one account is compromised, it may be possible for a thief to locate other accounts with the same information, and break into them. You can prevent this from happening by keeping multiple passwords. That way, if one password is discovered, only a portion of your online records are threatened. Personally, I use a single complex password for banking and financial transactions, and a simpler one for sites that have no monetary value stored on them.

Other miscellaneous security tips regarding passwords.
Do not email your password. If a company like a bank, or an email service provider emails you, saying that they are checking for live accounts, and you need to reply with your login and password in order to keep your account active, do not fall for it. It is standard operating procedure for all major companies NEVER to ask for your password through email.



If you are making a purchase through a website that is not a major name, and you have not used it before, there is usually an authentication logo, generally made by the company VeriSign. These should be clickable, and should lead you back to the VeriSign.com domain... If they are not, it could be a forgery, and you could be giving your credit card information to a thief.


For the full report on the stolen credit card study, click here.

Varnes Computers, LLC provides high quality computer service and IT consulting to the Denver area, and beyond. Please contact us with any questions or concerns at http://www.varnespc.com