Never give out your password to anyone.

Never give it to friends, even if they’re really good friends. A friend can even accidentally pass your password along to others. Over time the best friend can even become an ex-friend/enemy and abuse it.

Never Use Just One Password.

If accidentally your strong password is exposed to anyone, he or she will have the access to every account of yours. It is also possible that someone working at a site where you used that password could pass it on or use it to break into your accounts at other sites.

Use a Passphrase

Security experts are now recommending a  “passphrase” rather than simply a password. Such a phrase should be relatively long – perhaps 20 characters or so and consist of seemingly random words strung together along with numbers, symbols, and upper and lower case letters. Think of something that you can remember but others couldn’t guess such as RedBanana#56ToyotaFi$h. That’s relatively long – perhaps 20 characters or so — using seemingly random words strung together along with numbers, symbols and upper and lower case letters. Think of something that you can remember but others couldn’t guess such as RedBanana#56ToyotaFi$h. Avoid using famous quotations that might be easy to guess.

Make the password at least 12 characters long

The longer the better. Longer passwords are harder for thieves to crack. But don’t use a password you can not remember.

Include numbers, capital letters and symbols.

Consider using symbols as $ instead of an S or a number like 1 instead of an L, or including an & or % – but note that $1ngle is NOT a good password. Password thieves are onto this. But Mf$J1ravng (short for “My friend Sam Jones is really a very nice guy) is a very strong password for account security.

Don’t post it in plain sight

This might seem obvious to many. But statistics have found that quite a lot of people post their password on their monitor with a sticky note. It is a very bad idea. Best is to remember it. but if you must write it down, hide the note somewhere where no one can find it easily.

Consider Using a Password Manager

Programs or web services like RoboForm (Windows only) or Lastpass (Windows and Mac) let you create many different but very strong passwords for each of your sites. Eventually, you only have to remember the one password to access the program. The program will store all the other passwords for you.

Consider Using Multi-Factor Authentication

There are many apps now to provide this service. Even Microsoft also have their own authenticator app for both Android and iOS. You can just use this two-step verification app to secure your accounts where there is an option. In this App, there will be some random numbers that will be changed within a very short period. After you connect the app as your password protector for any site, you will need to provide the password and the MFA code as the second layer.

Don’t Fall for “Phishing” Attacks

Be very careful before clicking on a link (even if it appears to be from a legitimate site) asking you to log in. it might ask you to change your password or provide any other personal information. It might be legit or it might be a “phishing” scam where the information you enter goes to a hacker. When you are in doubt, don’t click a link. Check the website carefully for slight changes than the original ones it is pretending as.

Make sure your devices are secure

The best password in the world will not be able to protect you if someone can look over your shoulder while you type. If you forget to log out on a cyber cafe computer your accounts are in danger even with a strong password for account security. Malicious software, including “key loggers” that record all of your keystrokes, has been used to steal passwords and other information. To increase security, make sure you’re using up-to-date anti-malware software and that your operating system is up to date.

Use a “password” or fingerprints for your phone too

Most phones can be locked so that the only way to use them is to type in a code. You can use a string of numbers or maybe a pattern you draw on the screen. Some new phones allow you to register fingerprints, which are quite secure. Sometimes when people with bad intentions find unlocked phones, they use them to steal the owners’ information, make a lot of calls, or send texts that look like they’re coming from the owner. Someone posing as you could send texts that make it look like you’re bullying or harassing someone in your address book with inappropriate images or words. So, a strong password for account security of your phone is also important.

These crimes are increasing day by day. A lot of reports are filed and being handled by the authorities. We must try to avoid such incidents and protect ourselves. We also must know How to Stay Safe Online while Surfing the Internet, as laws are strict these days for any kind of ill practices.