Nigerian are very social people and with the rise of social media, a majority of them now spend most for their time online. Whether at home, school, work or even while on the move Nigerians are constantly connected to the internet via their mobile phones, computers, tablets and smart gadgets. While completing tasks online has major pros, seeing as it is easier and faster than normal operations, it also has major cons as it makes one vulnerable to data theft and online scams.
In fact, rarely does a week go by without news of a hacking incident, or an online account being taken by pranksters. More than half of Nigerian adults have six or more password-protected accounts online, and because these passwords can be tricky and even hard to memorize, they resort to making it very short and easy, using the same password for multiple accounts or keeping them in their wallet for easy access. Such practices, however, expose them to the kinds of attacks being launched against websites today.
While there are no ways to completely eliminate these malicious threats and data theft, you can at least put a better lock on your online to ensure you do not become a victim. Jovago.com, Africa’s No.1 online hotel booking portal offers 5 ways to help you get a hacker-proof password and stay one step ahead of the game while protecting your account.
Opt for a long and strong password
Passwords are harder to crack when they are long and graded “strong’. Normally, the recommended minimum for passwords is eight characters, but rather than stick to the minimum, work towards 13 characters or even 22. Though some accounts have limits for passwords, in such cases, ensure you reach the maximum. The longer your password, the harder it is to crack.
Different Passwords for different accounts
No matter how convenient it may seem, do not let yourself fall into the trap of using the same password for all your accounts. Doing so makes it easy for a hacker who succeeds in hacking one of your accounts access every other account you have. Use different pass words for different accounts. And if possible, use different user names while signing up as well. Choose a strong distinct password for each service, ensure that hackers cannot get access to other accounts that might share the same login information if any one service is cracked.
Go for obscurity
Stay away from names, nick names, dates, slangs and popular dictionary words. Strive to make your password completely obscure by using combinations of letters and numbers,as well as upper and lower case letters and symbols such as the exclamation mark and asterisk. Some online accounts may not allow certain symbols or ban you from using unusual characters t create passwords. In such cases, try to vary it as much as you can. A password like “RuHi joVa!go” is a lot safer than “ruhijovago”.
Use unrelated answers
Most accounts have password reminders which are questions that jug the memory in cases where the user cannot remember their password or are looking to change it. The questions which most times cannot be skipped asks questions which its answer serves as your password or to reminds you/gives a clue to what the password may be. Rather than set these “secret questions,” with easy hints for passwords, consider using saving answers that are completely unrelated to the question. That way, you are the only one who gets the clue when needed.
Use a Password Manager
There are so many password manager applications available online, look for one and use it to create and manage strong passwords for the Web or your smartphone. The password manager making it all easy as all you ever need to know and remember is the master password. The manager encrypts passwords and ensures your device can only be unlocked by that master password. Some passwords go past just generate passwords to helping you track new passwords, and audit existing passwords. There are a number of great options on Google Play.
