Stop Using the Same Password Everywhere

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We all know better – but so many people still ignore best practices when it comes to online safety. Just about 70% of people admit they use the same password for different sites, or sometimes the same password for almost all their online accounts. I suspect the remaining 30% is lying: almost everyone (myself included) will occasionally re-use a standard password.

Here’s why this is such a bad idea: accounts get hacked all the time. Not yours, but the one of the guy (or gal) that owns the site you created your account with. This way hackers get a hold of many passwords in one go, usually accompanied by your name, email address, and maybe even your home address or phone number. Enough to pretend they’re you, at least online. Because what else could they gain access with using that email address and password combination. Your video streaming account? Food delivery service? Phone account? They’ll just keep trying until they get in, and usually, they will.

Safety First

I use a separate, secure password for (almost) all my accounts, and use a password manager to keep track of it all. By integrating the password manager into my browser and smart devices, I have access to my library of passwords everywhere I go so it doesn’t really slow me down.

Does this protect me from online attacks? Not really. They’ll still try. But when that small web shop you ordered something from only once years ago gets hacked, you can sleep a little easier knowing that when a hacker gets a hold of that password, all they have is that one password, instead of access to your entire online life. A word of caution though: if you’ve “conveniently” saved your payment details when you placed your order, they may have access to that too. Which is why I never save my payment details. The small convenience it may bring doesn’t way up against the potential nightmare of having to reclaim your online identity and fraudulent credit card bills.

Better Apps

Most smart phones have built in password management options now, but they still lose points when it comes to ease-of-use when managing passwords. And if it’s not easy to use, you may fall back on that easy-to-remember, standard password. Bad idea.

A good password manager is a must-have for everyone, business owner or not. To see other apps I’m using to run my business see this post.

If you’d like to try a better password manager, have a look at this:

1Password

1Password is loved and used by over 50,000 teams and businesses from start up to corporation in all sectors, and I’ve used this app for many years myself. It is a password manager, digital vault, form filler and secure digital wallet, remembering all your passwords for you to help keep account information safe. It’s also free to get started using this link, and premium options start at $2,99 per month. (A hidden perk of my Travel Revolution program is that some members may be eligible to a special deal on this password manager. Text me for info.)

P.S. Questions, comments, compliments? Text me: 604-210-8668. I’d love to hear from you.

If this post helped you, please consider buying one of my books, or checking out a more in-depth course on one of the topics I talk about. Thanks! 🙂