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Use a Password Manager: Listed below are some good options you can try.

• KeePass
• 1Password
• RoboForm

Try to change important passwords frequently. To keep them fresh and to decrease the chances that they have been compromised. The applications above let you do this with relative ease.

Keep your passwords secret, and do NOT do the following things.

• Put them into a file on your computer
• E-mailing them to others or yourself
• Writing them on a piece of paper in your desk

You might as well be giving your password away if you do the above.

If you must share or give access to your computer or password-protected site, follow these guidelines:

• Create a temporary password just for them and then change it back immediately afterward.
• Consider creating a separate account with limited privileges, if the person needs access more than once.

What your passwords should NOT be compromised of:

• Dictionary words
• Birthdays, family and pet names
• Addresses, or any other personal information
• Don’t use repeat characters or sequences such as:
  • 111
  • abc
  • qwerty
  • 123

Don’t use the same password for all sites. Use one of the password managers to generate strong passwords that hackers will have trouble with. This way even if one account is compromised, the others are safe.

Avoid clicking on “Remember Me” or “Auto Log-In” buttons. This is not safe and can open you up for attacks or make it very easy for snoops to see your information.

When logging in on a friends or a public computer turn off the “remember me” options and try to change the password when you get back to your computer. You don’t know if there is a virus on the computer or tracking software. Better to be cautious than hacked.

Be very careful with open Wi-Fi networks, ideally you should NOT input password information on them. If you do, make sure you change your password once you are at a secure connection.

Scrutinize email links and try to avoid on clicking on them. Instead, go directly to that site and log in from there. This way you are absolutely sure that it is not a false email.

Please send us any security questions that you have. We will keep our FAQs sections updated to match the latest concerns.

The InboxAlarm Team

Additional Links:

Google Security Blog

• Password Strength and Account Recovery

This entry was posted on Friday, August 21st, 2009 at 6:45 pm and is filed under General. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.