Network security: More and more passwords are more dangerous

The internet makes everything easy, but just a little bit of all your username and password will become a double-edged sword.

Like it or not, each of us has too many online accounts to remember: email at work, home email, banking, credit cards, eBays, PayPals, websites, accounts chat . So, despite being recommended many times, people often record their username and password, or simply use a username and password for all websites. That means that if the bad guys find the password, they can afford to discover your personal information.

Loss of personal information will cause huge losses

According to the latest review, personal information steals cost 55 billion dollars a year. Information stealing from mail and dumpster-diving (detecting the accidentally recorded computer network access password on a note or notebook) is one of the tools they use the most. High-tech crimes are increasing, and poor security passwords become less secure than ever.

Phishing is the most common way to steal information online. Phishing is considered a form of spam, deceiving recipients to declare their personal information. Email from the Nigerian government and various types of email announcements winning lottery from Europe are typical examples. However, there are more and more sophisticated methods for thieves such as using hacker software and malware. Meanwhile, Internet users still set their passwords based on the importance of that account.

High-tech crime is difficult to trace. Given the nature of the Internet, it seems that fraudsters are always anonymous and often abroad. The victim also rarely knows his device is being attacked.

In 2000, the FBI established an Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3). Last year, the center received 207 000 complaints related to financial losses totaling $ 198 million. However, this figure only reflects part of the situation. According to the center's assessment, in 7 cases, only 1 case was declared.

Some notes to be safe online :

Tips to keep your personal information safe:

- Do not use passwords based on words in the dictionary.

- Do not use the same username and password for more than one account.

- Do not join websites of unknown origin. Learn them first.

Some steps to protect passwords and usernames from those who steal personal information:

- Use both uppercase and lowercase letters as well as numbers and symbols on the keyboard. Username and password must be at least 8 characters long.

- Never reply to an email asking you to declare your username, password, bank account, or other personal information.

- If you record your passwords and usernames, lock them. If you leave it on your computer, it's best to encrypt it.

- Set up Internet-security in your browser to the highest level.

- Use and regularly update spam blocking software, detect spyware, block pop-ups and kill viruses. Use the latest firewall version.

- Invest in password management software or password protection device, which acts as a key to open the computer when plugged into a USB port.

- Regularly check the notice of credit card and bank to detect unreasonable expenses if any.

K.Hoa