Tip - secure your online accounts

This is the first in a series of 12 tips to help you improve your online safety.

Choose a unique password for each online account

Store your password in a Password Manager

  • Use an online service like LastPass or DashLane, or if you’re concerned about storing passwords online, then use a Password Vault like KeePass).

Choose security challenge questions for which the answers are not easily discoverable.

  • Don’t choose the name of the school or university you went to, if you also reveal this information on LinkedIn.
  • Perhaps the name of your pet isn’t unique, after all (see Tweet, above).
  • If the security challenge questions aren’t great (mother’s maiden name, first school etc.), and if you are using a Password Manager, you could generate a secure password as the answer to your security question. Q: “Name of your first pet?”. A: “E%7Ylu,1<'Ycl5C”

Set up 2-step Verification (2SV)

  • The well-respected security blogger Graham Cluley has detailed guides on his website covering how to turn on 2SV for sites such as:Google, Amazon, Twitter, and Facebook

If you don’t know where to start, secure your email account, as that often gives access to all your other online accounts if used for password resets.

Notes

This article was originally published on the Online Safety Alliance