It is a basic economic law. While there are easier ways that pay higher, there will always be people that are eager to go against the norm. To hurt, to steal, to lie, to hack. Unfortunately, there is nothing me and you can do against that. We can only do our best in order to prevent for that to happen to us.
When talking about your cyber security, there are a couple of things that you can do to prevent theft of your personal sites, profiles, and information.
First, and foremost don’t let your devices remember Free Public Wi-Fi networks. If possible, never use such. It is possible and a common practice for hackers to impersonate such networks with their devices.
What that means is when you go to the mall and connect to the Wi-Fi, if you let your device remember the connection, the next time it detects a connection with the same name, it will connect automatically. And if this time the connection is not the genuine Wi-Fi of the mall you are at, your device will connect to the hacker’s device. Thus, giving him access to all your data.
Again, never let your devices remember the connection. And if possible, don’t connect to free public networks.
The second way to take care of your cybersecurity is to use a strong password.
A Definition of Strong Password
Before we go to the definition of a strong password, let’s find out exactly how the hackers are trying to hack your website or profile.
One of the most common terms in hacking and one of the most famous (except hacking itself, of course) is the so-called ‘brute force’.
In essence, brute force is when a hacker tries to enter your website by trying a vast number of predefined and frequently used passwords. All of this happens automatically. The person that is trying to brute force your website could be outside, drinking coffee, while a bot enters and re-enters different combinations of username and a password, in order to break in your website or profile.
The strength of your password is one of the main ways to prevent this. And the harder it is for a computer or a human to guess the password in case they don’t have any idea what it is, the stronger the password is. In an attempt to go as far as possible from mathematics let’s just note that the longer, unpredictable and complex your password is, the stronger it is.
And logically, the stronger the password, the less risky it is for you to get hacked.
If we have to bring out a definition of a strong password, it could be something like this:
A strong password is a long, complex and unpredictable line of letters, numbers, and symbols. Its main function is to prevent humans and computer programs from guessing its forming parts and their arrangement.
Bonus: List of the most common password in 2017
If you can find your password of any of your registration, I would highly recommend you to take care of it right now and go change it.
Here is the list of the most common passwords in 2017:
123456; password; 12345678; qwerty; 12345; 123456789; letmein; 1234567; football; iloveyou; admin; welcome; monkey; login; abc123; starwars; 123123; dragon; passw0rd; master; hello; freedom; whatever; qazwsx; trustno1;
Strong Password Tips
Here are some tips for choosing a strong password.
- You should be able to remember it. Something meaningful to you, that you can always remember is a good start for creating a strong password. Yet, stay away from birthdays, names of significant others, family members, and dates that could be easily guessed. Remember, a strong password is unpredictable.
- Don’t use word or brand name. Especially if you are using that brand. Again – unpredictability and complexity.
- Put at least 12 characters. The length of the password is the third component of its strength. The longer, the better.
- Include Capital Letters, and Lower-Case Letters, Numbers, and Symbols.
- Don’t rely on obvious substitutions. Using number instead of a letter or a word is not so clever as you may think. The list of the most common passwords proves this statement. Two of them are passw0rd(with a zero instead of an ‘o’) and trustno1(with a 1 instead of the word ‘one’). Yet, they are among the most used. Don’t do that, or at least don’t rely on that.
- Don’t use the same password with all of your online accounts.
How Safe is My Password
It is possible that all this concept of password strength is new to you. Hopefully, your password is not in the list of the most commonly used ones, but now you are trying to figure out exactly how strong is the one you’ve chosen.
And it really is a question you must ask yourself. And it will be hard for me to answer that question without knowing your password but to let someone know your password is just wrong. On so many levels.
Still, there are thousands of way to define exactly how safe you can feel with your password.
Here is a tool, I believe, you can trust. It is a password checker that Kaspersky built. I really liked it and the fact it automatically detects if the password you entered is among the most common ones, makes me feel like it shows reliable information.
Now you know what a strong password is. You know that you shouldn’t use the same password with all of your accounts. You know the password should be long, complex, unpredictable.
If you are like me you have more online accounts than you can remember, let alone the passwords for them.
There are ways to overcome that issue. With Ease.
It is called Password Manager.
In essence, a password manager is a program for your computer or extension for your browser (or the browser itself, for that matter), that gathers all your passwords in one account. And to enter that account you have to enter a password. Which will be the only password you’ll have to remember, if you are into using such helpful tools.
Me personally, I put my trust in Google Chrome. This browser has its integrated password manager. And it is a double authentication process. Which means, you’ll have to put two passwords, to see these, which are saved in the browser itself.
First, the browser is connected to your Google Profile. And if you were in your account when you chose to save the password, it will be only accessible when you are using the same account.
Say, you left your computer on and someone tried to get your Facebook profile’s password. They will most likely fail, as the password manager of chrome asks you to put the password of the computer that you are using in order to show you the password you want to see.
Thus, if you save your passwords in Chrome’s integrated Password Manager, don’t let anyone see your computer’s password (or any other device for that matter). Also, don’t log in to your Google account anywhere except your personal or office devices.
LastPass is, I’ve got to admit, a very successful name for a tool that will let you forget all of your passwords, but one. The last one.
This is the tool that my colleagues trust when it comes to password managing.
The tool does what the Chrome Password Manager does. And a little more. Here you can save the passwords of applications, you’ll have the freedom not to use Chrome if you so choose to.
LastPass has extensions for Chrome, Mozilla, Opera, Microsoft Edge(Internet Explorer), and Safari.
And the best part – the extensions are free.
And if you choose to go premium, the plans start from $2. And this plan doesn’t compromise with anything, as the most expensive is $4.
In essence, LastPass is a password manager. With a slick design. And applications, so your passwords, go wherever you are and in any of your devices. Just remember the Last Pass.
I can never stress enough that taking care of preventing anyone to access your online accounts, is as important as preventing germs from entering your body. But while in most cases the germs in your body will put you on a bed for a week, the germs that enter your website, or any online account could turn your life upside down.
Thus, you should do your best not to let that happen. Use a long, complex and unpredictable password. If possible different on every account that you have, and once your passwords become way too much to remember, find yourself a Password Manager that you can trust and go from there.
Also, when it comes to website security, remember that a strong password is not the only thing you can do, neither it’s a panacea.
You can always employ defense in depth principles by using layers. Meaning to make two or more step authorization process for the website to be entered.
Don’t let everyone have administrative rights. It is not needed.
If you are using WordPress, you can restrict the access to the wp-admin page from anywhere except where it is needed. Also, you can use security plugins.
Create backups. As often, as you can.
Register your website with Search Engines – Google and Bing have Webmaster Tools, use them to tell you the health of your website.
Ni sheria ya msingi ya kiuchumi. Ingawa kuna njia rahisi ambazo hulipa zaidi, daima kutakuwa na watu ambao ni hamu ya kwenda dhidi ya kawaida. Kuumiza, kuiba, kusema uwongo, kuvunja. Kwa bahati mbaya, hakuna kitu mimi na unaweza kufanya dhidi ya kwamba. Tunaweza tu kufanya yote tuwezayo ili kuzuia jambo hilo lisitukie. Kwa upande wa usalama wa mtandao, kuna njia kadhaa ambazo unaweza kuchukua ili kuzuia wizi wa tovuti yako binafsi, maelezo, na habari. Kwanza kabisa, usiruhusu vifaa vyako kukumbuka mitandao ya Wi-Fi ya Umma ya Bure. Ikiwa inawezekana, usitumie kamwe. Inawezekana na ni zoea la kawaida kwa wahasibu kujifanya kuwa mitandao kama hiyo kwa vifaa vyao. Hii inamaanisha kwamba wakati unapoenda kwenye duka na kuunganisha kwenye Wi-Fi, ikiwa unaruhusu kifaa chako kukumbuka uhusiano, wakati mwingine kinapogundua uhusiano na jina moja, itaunganisha moja kwa moja. Na wakati huu, ikiwa uhusiano sio wa kweli wa Wi-Fi ya kituo cha ununuzi, kifaa chako kitaunganishwa na kifaa cha hacker. Hivyo, kumpa upatikanaji wa data yako yote. Kwa mara nyingine tena, usiruhusu vifaa vyako vikumbuke uhusiano. Na ikiwezekana, usijiunge na mitandao ya umma ya bure. Njia ya pili ya kuhifadhi usalama wako wa mtandao ni kutumia nywila ya siri. Ufafanuzi wa Nenosiri Nguvu Kabla ya kwenda kwa ufafanuzi wa nenosiri nguvu, hebu kupata hasa jinsi hackers ni kujaribu hack tovuti yako au wasifu. Moja ya maneno ya kawaida katika hacking na moja ya maarufu zaidi (isipokuwa hacking yenyewe, bila shaka) ni kinachoitwa <unk>brute force<unk>. Kwa ufupi, nguvu mbaya ni wakati hacker anajaribu kuingia kwenye tovuti yako kwa kujaribu idadi kubwa ya nywila zilizowekwa mapema na zinazotumiwa mara nyingi. Yote hayo hutukia moja kwa moja. Mtu anayejaribu kuvunja tovuti yako anaweza kuwa nje, akinywa kahawa, wakati bot inaingia na kuingia tena mchanganyiko tofauti wa jina la mtumiaji na nenosiri ili kuvunja tovuti yako au wasifu. Nguvu ya nenosiri lako ni moja ya njia kuu ya kuzuia hili. Na ngumu zaidi ni kwa kompyuta au binadamu kutabiri nenosiri katika kesi hawana wazo lolote nini ni, nguvu zaidi password ni. Katika jaribio la kwenda mbali iwezekanavyo kutoka kwa hisabati hebu tu kumbuka kwamba muda mrefu, unpredictable na tata password yako ni, nguvu ni. Kwa hivyo, kwa sababu ya nguvu ya nywila, kuna hatari ndogo ya kuingiliwa. "Kama tuna kutoa ufafanuzi wa ""nambari ya siri"" inaweza kuwa kitu kama hiki: ""Nambari ya siri ni mstari mrefu, tata na unpredictable ya herufi, tarakimu na alama." Kazi yake kuu ni kuzuia wanadamu na programu za kompyuta zisidhani sehemu zake za kuunda na mpangilio wake. "Kama wewe ni mtu ambaye anajua password ya ""mwisho wa mwaka"" na unaweza kupata password ya usajili wako, tafadhali tafadhali chagua ""mwisho wa mwaka"" na uende na kubadilisha." "Hii ni orodha ya ""passwords"" za kawaida zaidi katika mwaka 2017: 12345; 1234567; 12345; 1234567; 1234567; 1234567; 1234567; 1234567; 1234567; 1234567; 1234567; 1234567; 1234567; 1234567; 1234567; 1234567; 1234567; 1234567; 1234567; 1234567; 1234567; 1234567; 1234567; 1234567; 1234567; 1234567; 1234567; 1234567; 1234567; 1234567; 1234567; 1234567; 1234567; 1234567; 1234567; 1234567; 1234567; 1234567; 1234567; 123457; 123457; 123457; 123457; 123457; 12345; 12345; 12345; 12345; 12345; 12345; 12345; 12345; 12345; 12345; 12345; 12345; 12345; 12345; 12345; 12345; 12345; 12345; 12345; 12345; 12345; 12345 - Unapaswa kuwa na uwezo wa kukumbuka hilo. Kitu muhimu kwako, kwamba unaweza daima kukumbuka ni mwanzo mzuri kwa ajili ya kujenga siri nguvu. Hata hivyo, epuka siku za kuzaliwa, majina ya watu wa karibu, washiriki wa familia, na tarehe ambazo zinaweza kutabiriwa kwa urahisi. Kumbuka, nenosiri lenye nguvu haliwezi kutabiriwa. - Usitumie neno au jina la bidhaa. Hasa ikiwa unatumia chapa hiyo. Tena <unk> unpredictability na utata. - Kuandika angalau herufi 12. Urefu wa nenosiri ni sehemu ya tatu ya nguvu yake. Kadiri muda ulivyo mrefu, ndivyo inavyokuwa bora. - Ni pamoja na herufi kubwa, na herufi ndogo, namba, na alama. - Usitegemee kubadilishana kwa njia inayoonekana waziwazi. Kutumia nambari badala ya herufi au neno si jambo la busara kama unavyofikiri. Orodha ya nywila za kawaida zaidi inathibitisha taarifa hii. "Wakati mwingine, ""password"" ni ""null"" badala ya ""o"" na ""trust"" badala ya ""one.""" Hata hivyo, ni miongoni mwa vitu vinavyotumiwa sana. Usifanye hivyo, au angalau usitegemee hilo. - Usitumie nenosiri lilelile kwa akaunti zako zote za mtandaoni. Jinsi ya usalama wa nenosiri lako Inawezekana kuwa dhana hii yote ya nguvu ya nenosiri ni mpya kwako. Kwa matumaini, nenosiri lako si katika orodha ya wale kutumika kwa kawaida, lakini sasa wewe ni kujaribu kufikiri hasa jinsi nguvu ni moja umechagua. Na kwa kweli ni swali ambalo unapaswa kujiuliza. Ni vigumu sana kujibu swali hili bila kujua password yako. Katika ngazi nyingi sana. Hata hivyo, kuna maelfu ya njia za kufafanua hasa jinsi unavyoweza kujisikia salama na nenosiri lako. Hapa ni chombo, naamini, unaweza kuamini. Ni kifaa cha kuangalia nywila ambacho Kaspersky imebuni. Mimi kweli walipenda ni na ukweli kwamba ni moja kwa moja kugundua kama password wewe aliingia ni miongoni mwa wale ya kawaida, hufanya mimi kujisikia kama inaonyesha habari ya kuaminika. Sasa unajua ni nini nenosiri lenye nguvu. Unajua kwamba hupaswi kutumia nenosiri moja kwa akaunti zako zote. Nambari ya siri inapaswa kuwa ndefu, ngumu, na isiyoweza kutabiriwa. Kama wewe ni kama mimi, una akaunti nyingi za mtandaoni kuliko unavyoweza kukumbuka, bila kujali nywila zao. Kuna njia za kushinda tatizo hilo. Kwa urahisi. "Kama ilivyoelezwa hapo juu, ""Msimamizi wa Nenosiri"" ni jina la programu ya usimamizi wa nywila." Msimamizi wa Nenosiri ni programu ya kompyuta au kiendelezi cha kivinjari chako (au kivinjari chenyewe), ambayo hukusanya nambari zako zote za siri katika akaunti moja. Ili kuingia kwenye akaunti yako, lazima uingize nenosiri. Ambayo itakuwa password tu utakuwa na kukumbuka, kama wewe ni katika kutumia zana kama msaada. Mimi binafsi, ninaweka imani yangu katika Google Chrome. Kivinjari hiki ina meneja wake wa nenosiri jumuishi. Ni mchakato wa uthibitisho mara mbili. Ambayo ina maana, utakuwa na kuweka nywila mbili, kuona hizi, ambayo ni kuhifadhiwa katika kivinjari yenyewe. Kwanza, kivinjari ni kushikamana na profile yako ya Google. Ikiwa ulikuwa kwenye akaunti yako wakati ulichagua kuhifadhi nenosiri, litapatikana tu wakati unatumia akaunti hiyo hiyo. Sema, uliacha kompyuta yako kwenye na mtu alijaribu kupata nywila ya wasifu wako wa Facebook. Kwa kweli, ni rahisi sana kwa Chrome kuamua ni nini cha kutumia, kwa hivyo ni muhimu sana kwamba msimamizi wa nenosiri la Chrome atakuuliza kuweka nenosiri la kompyuta unayotumia ili kuonyesha usiri unaotaka kuona. Hivyo, kama kuhifadhi nywila yako katika Chrome ya jumuishi Password Manager, si basi mtu yeyote kuona kompyuta yako nywila (au kifaa kingine chochote kwa ajili ya jambo hilo). Pia, usijiunge na akaunti yako ya Google mahali popote isipokuwa kwenye vifaa vyako vya kibinafsi au vya ofisi. LastPass ni, mimi gotta kukubali, jina mafanikio sana kwa ajili ya chombo kwamba itaruhusu kusahau nywila yako yote, lakini moja. Ya mwisho. Hii ni chombo ambacho wenzangu wanaamini linapokuja suala la usimamizi wa nenosiri. Chombo hicho hufanya kile ambacho Meneja wa Nenosiri wa Chrome hufanya. Na kidogo zaidi. Hapa unaweza kuhifadhi nywila za maombi, utakuwa na uhuru wa kutotumia Chrome kama wewe hivyo kuchagua. LastPass ina upanuzi kwa Chrome, Mozilla, Opera, Microsoft Edge (Internet Explorer), na Safari. Na sehemu bora <unk> upanuzi ni bure. Ikiwa unataka kununua premium, mipango ya kwanza ni $ 2. Na mpango huu haujitolea kwa chochote, kwani ghali zaidi ni $ 4. LastPass ni meneja wa nywila. Kwa muundo mzuri. Kwa hivyo, kwa kutumia programu, unaweza kutumia nywila zako mahali popote ulipo na kwenye kifaa chako. Kumbuka tu Pass Mwisho. Sitaweza kusisitiza vya kutosha kwamba kuepuka mtu yeyote kuingia kwenye akaunti zako za mtandaoni ni muhimu kama kuzuia vijidudu kuingia mwilini mwako. Lakini wakati katika kesi nyingi vijidudu katika mwili wako vitakuweka kitandani kwa wiki, vijidudu vinavyoingia kwenye wavuti yako, au akaunti yoyote ya mtandaoni inaweza kubadilisha maisha yako. Kwa hiyo, unapaswa kufanya yote uwezayo ili usiruhusu hilo litukie. Tumia nywila ndefu, ngumu na isiyoweza kutabiriwa. Ikiwa ni kweli, kila akaunti yako ina password tofauti, na mara tu unapoanza kukumbuka, tafuta Meneja wa Nenosiri ambao unaweza kuamini na uende kutoka hapo. Pia, linapokuja suala la usalama wa tovuti, kumbuka kwamba nenosiri lenye nguvu sio kitu pekee unachoweza kufanya, wala si dawa ya kuokoa. Unaweza daima kutumia ulinzi katika kanuni kina kwa kutumia tabaka. Maana ya kufanya hatua mbili au zaidi ya mchakato wa idhini kwa ajili ya tovuti kuingizwa. Usiruhusu kila mtu kuwa na haki za kiutawala. Haihitajiwi. Ikiwa unatumia WordPress, unaweza kuzuia ufikiaji wa ukurasa wa wp-admin kutoka mahali popote isipokuwa mahali ambapo inahitajika. Pia, unaweza kutumia programu-jalizi za usalama. Kuunda nakala rudufu. Mara nyingi kadiri uwezavyo. Usajili tovuti yako na Injini za Utafutaji <unk> Google na Bing zina Vifaa vya Msimamizi wa Tovuti, tumia ili kukuambia afya ya tovuti yako.