It’s about the security of everything you do.

You will have read about the hacking of LinkedIn and the theft (because that’s what it is) of 6.5 million passwords. You will have gone in and changed your password on LinkedIn and you may have already forgotten it and had to change it again! You are safe again right? Not so fast! Was the password that you chose for LinkedIn used on any other of the 30 other sites that you use? If it was change it right away.

You are not alone. People use the same password over and over. The changes that they make will be variants of that password, and there’s the problem.

People! We need to get serious about this stuff. The way that hackers work is changing. They are getting much more sophisticated and they are “subcontracting” their work. Those 6.5 million passwords will be used by searching the names affected and looking for their affiliations to other sites. Other hackers will likely be out there preparing that list right now and, armed with that, the really bad guys will be swinging into action stealing from bank accounts and other assets.

So think it through. Passwords alone are a pretty poor security device. At least make them long and involved so that they are difficult (as in it takes extra time) to crack. Recognize that most of the sites out there have almost no security inherent in their infrastructure….sorry but it’s true. So please do not store your credit cards out there. If you do, go out and remove them now. Please don’t choose speed over security. If you have to rekey the information the next time you go there it is not as bad as losing your money or identity.

The internet has no inherent security. Do not take anything for granted.

Related links:

Choosing a Smart Password:

http://support.google.com/accounts/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=32040

Creating a Strong Password:

http://www.thegeekstuff.com/2008/06/the-ultimate-guide-for-creating-strong-passwords/

Choosing a Secure Password:

http://www.wikihow.com/Choose-a-Secure-Password

Related quote: –

“Treat your password like your toothbrush. Don’t let anybody else use it, and get a new one every six
months” – Clifford Stoll