This week we learned about how technology in our world today is great but it is ever changing to the privacy and security of our lives. There will never be a way to be fully hack free, but as consumers of technology and a future in the media career, there are three big things we can do to better protect ourselves.
- Do not reuse a password. If they get you, this is how you’ll get got. Password reuse is a huge problem. This issue just makes you a bigger target, because they will not only be able to get into one thing but many of them. This seems like such a simple thing to change but this is one of the top ways people get hacked.
- Two-factor authentication sounds a little scary. It even sounds a little scary when you call it two-step authentication. I know. But basically, it just means that when someone tries to log into an account from a new location they also have to enter a code that’s sent to a trusted device. This usually means that you’ll get some sort of text message with a six-digit number you have to enter if you want to, say, log into Facebook from a computer in the library or reset the password on your Google account. .
- A good password manager will help you create and manage strong passwords that you can use to log in from the Web or your mobile device. All you’ll ever need to know is the master password. The rest of your passwords are encrypted, and can only be unlocked by that master password. You can use a password manager to both generate and track new passwords.
There are many other things we can do to protect ourselves from hackers, but these are 3 things we should for sure be doing, and continue to do.
Robin Miller 