Did you know that a strong PIN (Personal Identification Number) can keep hackers from breaking into your accounts? Here are 5 easy tips to help you create strong passwords:
1. Choose a unique sequence of numbers
Don’t use your date of birth, home address, phone number or that of a family member. Also, no set of repeating numbers, such as 1111 or 3333. Avoid any variation of commonly used — and commonly hacked — passwords.
2.. Mix it up
Vary capitalization and types of characters used, switching back and forth from letters to numbers to symbols.
3.. Make it extra long
A 9- or 12-digit PIN is more secure than a 4-digit number. If you can, include symbols, letters and varied punctuation.
4. Change your PIN
Experts recommend changing your PIN at least twice a year. This helps keep your accounts safe!
5. Use a password manager
A password manager, like 1password, will remember all your passwords. You’ll only need to create and remember one master password. Don’t let your devices remember passwords.