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Below are some tips to help you keep your passwords safe and secure:

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Don’t use easy to guess passwords

Many users make the mistake of using very simple passwords. Using the name of your partner, child, or pet, possibly followed by a 0, 1 or 11 is very common. Hackers can use software that runs through dictionary words and names to quickly crack your password. Adding just one capital letter, one asterisk or special character into your password greatly decreases your chances of becoming a victim of password hacking. Another popular method of increasing the security on a password is to use two unrelated words together with a number placed in the middle.

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Keep your computer protected

Another very common method of obtaining passwords is for hackers to install keystroke logging software onto your computer. This software records what password details you are typing on your keyboard and transmits the information back to the malicious user. If you save any passwords on your computer, this also can be scanned and transmitted back to a malicious user who has installed malware on your machine. Make sure to regularly scan your computer for viruses and malware and to keep your security software up to date.

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Don’t use the same password everywhere

Many people use the same password for their email, Facebook, Instagram and other online accounts. This is very dangerous, as the compromise of one account means a compromise to them all. Not all services have the same level of security, so hackers will typically hack a password in one place that isn’t very secure, then attempt to use that same password elsewhere. Make sure to use unique passwords for different services.