One major problem we easily can do something about is weak passwords, a hacker’s dream. Why make it easy for them to crack into your private account? And once hacked into one account, they can quickly access and control your multiple accounts.

Simply putting exclamation marks, or similar signs, at the end of your passwords makes little difference – their smart algorithms are created to hack these too.

Hacked accounts are notoriously difficult to take back control. And the damage is already done.

What individuals can do

1. Use strong passwords.
2. Do not reuse passwords across multiple accounts – give each account its own password using a secure Password Manager app.
3. Store your passwords in a secure Password Manager app.
4. Use 2-factor authentication (2FA) where possible, especially for critical accounts, such as a bank account.
5. Check if your email has been leaked using the Have I Been Pwned website.

1. Strong passwords

A strong password is a complex password.

A good example of a strong password is 24 random characters using lower case letters, upper case letters, numbers, and keyboard symbols. A password manager can generate one for you in 3 clicks, e.g. $!Sjz%*kjx7R7TiKOHdSVgz!.

A bad example of a strong password is Lenny2023!!

This is a bad example because it uses a dictionary word, Lenny, a year, and 2 ! symbols, which are commonly used in passwords.

See a list of the top 200 most common passwords.

2. Never reuse passwords

Or use very similar ones as hackers recognize patterns.

The best solution is to use a password generator for all your accounts, even unimportant ones, to keep hackers out of all your accounts. Free professional password generators and managers are available. I use LastPass to generate and store all my passwords. (I am a user only of LastPass and have no other relationship with the owners).

3. Use 2-factor authentication (2FA) where possible

2 factor means there are 2 pieces to the authentication you use for a website or web app. The first is your normal password, the 2nd is a 2FA app or mobile phone text verification.

Examples of 2FA apps are Google Authenticator and Microsoft Authenticator.

Read more: The Best Authenticator Apps, according to PC Magazine

4. Safely store your login credentials using a password manager

You will only need to use one master password for a password manager, which will automatically fill in your login details whenever you visit a website, making it easy to access your accounts without having to remember each password.

There are many password managers to choose from. Here are the best.

5. Check if your email has been leaked

The Have I Been Pwned website will search a database of emails that have been leaked online.

If you find your email has been leaked from a specific website, reset that website’s password. Ensure all your passwords are unique.