Latest news with #password
The Guardian
7 days ago
- General
- The Guardian
What to do if your email account is stolen – and how to stop it happening again
Email accounts have become more than a longstanding method of communication, morphing into the centre of your digital world as the user login for hundreds of services from shopping to socials. So when you forget your password, your email gets stolen or hacked, it can be a total nightmare. Here's what to do if the worst happens. Quickly taking these steps can help get you back into your email and safeguard the many other accounts linked to it. Try to change your password from a device that's already logged in. Use a familiar device in a familiar location that you have frequently used your email account from before, such as your computer or a phone on your home wifi. Use the same browser you usually would if you have more than one installed. Use account recovery process for provider, such as Google or Microsoft, and access your account through your recovery email or phone if you have one. Answer all the recovery questions to the best of your ability, including any old passwords you might remember, even if you only know part of the answer. Google and Microsoft have tips you can follow. It may take up to 24 hours for you to be verified to recover your account. If all else fails, set up a new email account so that you can quickly migrate your logins for various sites and services to one you can control. Set a new, strong password that is unique for your email account. The password should be at least 12 characters, but the longer the better. Use a combination of alphanumeric and special characters. Some tips include using a combination of random words, a memorable lyric or quote, and avoid simple or guessable combinations. Use a password manager to help you remember it and other important details. Set up two-step verification using a code-generating app, rather than SMS text messages. Make sure you save your two-step backup codes somewhere safe. Use a passkey rather than a password, which uses your device and biometrics to authenticate you and cannot be hacked like a password. Set a recovery email and phone number to help get back into your account if you can't log in. Set up as many security questions as your account allows in settings and make them as difficult to guess as possible. Make sure you write the answers down somewhere safe.
Forbes
01-06-2025
- General
- Forbes
How To Make A Good Password – 4 Strong Password Examples
A good password is one that's impossible to guess. One of the simplest ways for a hacker to gain control of your online accounts is by getting hold of your password. Sometimes, they do this through brute force attacks — automatically checking millions of random permutations — or by working through words in the dictionary. Sometimes, they'll use credential stuffing, exploiting the fact that many people reuse passwords across different sites. We're constantly told that it's important to always use really strong passwords — but what does this mean in practice? We look at how to create a strong password and help keep your online accounts safe from attack. A good password is, essentially, one that it's impossible or very difficult for an attacker to guess. That means avoiding anything obvious — 'password' or '123456' for example, both of which are surprisingly frequently used. Generally speaking, the longer a password is, the better, and it should include a combination of upper-case letters, lower-case letters, numbers and symbols. While a combination of real words and other symbol is fine, using the name of your child or your favorite sports team is a really bad idea. And you should make sure that each password you use is unique — never reuse a password, or even a very similar one — across more than one site. If you're coming up with a password yourself, you could, of course, simply bash your keyboard at random and use whatever comes out — and that's actually not a bad way of doing it. You should make sure that whatever you come up with is reasonably long and complex. Some cyber experts recommend using a passphrase — several words strung together — as a starting point; although anything like a song lyric or famous quotation is a really bad idea. It's also less clever than you might think to use special characters in place of normal letters — pa$$w0rd', or the like — as hackers are on to that one. Finally, there are a number of password generators online that will come up with one for you that should fulfill all the criteria for a good password. Using a random string of upper- and lower-case letters, symbols and numbers should usually generate a very strong password. The longer it is the better, with security experts recommending that it should have at least 14 characters. Obviously, this won't exactly be easy to remember — but there are dozens of free password manager services online that you can use to do the job for you. To create a password that's secure but a little easier to remember, many security agencies, including the U.S.'s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, suggest the use of a passphrase. One way to do this is to think of three random words and string them together — needless to say, they should be random, rather than a part of a well-known phrase or something based on personal information, such as 'MyCatTibbles', for example. Perhaps the simplest solution for coming up with a really strong password is to use a password generator, which does all the hard work for you. Password generators use random number generators to create strong, random passwords with no patterns or predictable sequences. Most allow you to customize your passwords, and will store them securely — so that the only one you'll have to remember is the one for the password manager itself. When it comes to creating a strong password, the longer it is, the better. It's usually recommended that it should have at least 14 characters. A strong password will usually contain a mixture of upper- and lower-case letters, numbers and symbols, although it's also possible to create a good one by stringing together a series of unrelated words. There's no need to tailor a password to a particular site, although some will require you, for example, to use a minimum number of characters or to include numbers or symbols. One hard-and-fast rule is that you should never reuse the same or very similar passwords on more than one site — and don't use any of the examples given below, just in case hackers are reading this article too. This password — 'qo34inhj#';[ladfbyulB' — was produced by hitting the keyboard randomly, and includes a mixture of letters and other characters. It's a good length, contains no personal information, and is obviously impossible to guess. It does have one flaw, which is the lack of an upper-case letter — adding a couple in would make it even stronger. A passphrase consisting of several real words is an awful lot easer to remember than a randomly-generated password, making it an attractive option. However, you shouldn't be tempted to use related words or a quotation, such as 'BigBrownDog' or 'ShallICompareThee', as this could potentially be guessable. Instead, use completely unrelated words, such as 'BillPlantKitchenEngine'. A passphrase will be stronger if it, too, contains numbers or special symbols: 'Bill&PlantKitchenEngine1', for example. An ideal password is one that you can remember, but others can't guess, and one possibility is to create one based on a string of characters that means something to you, but nothing to anyone else. You could, for example, start with the sentence 'My new house is in San Francisco and is painted white with blue trim'; then take the last letter of each word to come up with 'ywesnnodsdehem'. This does have the failing that it lacks upper-case letters or symbols, but could easily be improved by adding a couple in. Some sites allow you to use alternative methods to verify your identity and access your account. This may be facial recognition, a fingerprint or a passkey, which will be sent to you by text or email and which you then use to sign in. All these methods are more secure than passwords — and in the case of biometric identification, are also quicker to use and a good deal less hassle. Bottom Line We're constantly told about the importance of using a strong, unique password — but it's not necessarily clear how to do that. A good password is one that's impossible to guess, so you should avoid anything obvious or based on findable information, like your children's names. Go for something long, with a mixture of letters and symbols instead. How Often Should You Change Your Password? However strong your passwords are, it's a good idea to change them regularly — especially passwords for sensitive accounts like your bank or other financial services. Many experts recommend doing this every three months or so. You should also change all your passwords if you've been hacked, or if a service you use has experienced a data breach. Some security experts recommend changing passwords if you've used public wifi too. It's worth noting that, while some organizations demand that staff change their passwords regularly, this is considered a bad idea by cyber security authorities, as the hassle of doing it means that people are more likely to reuse passwords or even write them down. How Long Should A Password Be? Many sites impose a minimum length for a password, often eight characters, as the longer a password, the more secure it is. Security firms have different recommendations, but generally speaking suggest a minimum character count of between 12 and 20. There's no maximum — apart from the length of time you're prepared to spend typing — but anything longer than 30 or 40 characters is probably overkill. Some password generators create passwords of more than 100 characters, but as password managers store these for you, there's no extra hassle involved. Should You Be Password Recycling? While it's tempting to reuse your passwords from one account to another, there are very good reasons for using a radically different password for all of your online accounts. When criminals get hold of one of your passwords they will often use a technique called credential stuffing to try the same one against all your other accounts and potentially gain access. And, note, it's not enough to just change a password slightly — if you're using Tibbles123 on one account, they'll check Tibbles321, and other variations, too.
CNET
19-05-2025
- CNET
Securely Share Your Wi-Fi Password With Apple and Android Devices
Any time you have friends or family visiting your home, you're likely to get asked what your Wi-Fi password is. A truly secured Wi-Fi network may have a password made up of a randomization of upper and lower case letters, numbers and special characters. Since this can be difficult to remember off the top of your head, getting the password may be a task. On the other hand, if your password is simple -- "Oh it's just my telephone number," for example -- you'll have no problem sharing your Wi-Fi... with your invited guests and with anyone else who may want to access your network. If that's you, go change your Wi-Fi password. Having a secure Wi-Fi network, means that you're regularly changing your Wi-Fi password. Sharing your network credentials, even if they're appropriately complicated, is easy. Here's how to do it with the push of a button. Sharing your Wi-Fi password on Apple devices As long as you've got the latest operating system, Apple devices play quite nicely with one another, and it's simple to share your Wi-Fi password with other Apple devices using your iPhone. Keep in mind: Your guest will need to have the email address associated with your Apple ID saved in their contacts, and you will need theirs saved in yours to share your Wi-Fi password. Locating local internet providers Ensure Wi-Fi and Bluetooth are enabled on both devices. Keep the devices close while connecting, within 10 feet or so of each other, and close enough to your router to get a strong signal. Connect your device to the Wi-Fi network you want to share. You're likely already connected to your primary home network. But if you're having visitors use a guest network, you'll need to connect your device to that network. Having visitors use a guest network is a good idea; here's how to create one. Have your guest find your network on their device. They'll need to go to Settings > Wi-Fi and tap on the network. Pro tip: This is the moment of payoff if you have a silly or witty Wi-Fi network name. Accept the prompt on your phone. A message will pop up on your iPhone asking if you want to share your password. Tap the Share Password button to accept, then Done. Your guest's device is now connected to your network. What if I have an iPhone and my guest doesn't? If your visitor has an Android device, or if their iPhone isn't in your contacts, there's an alternative method: You can create a QR code. Open the app and navigate to Shortcuts for Accessibility. Scroll to and tap QR Your WiFi, then tap Add Shortcut. Next, go to My Shortcuts and tap QR Your WiFi. Enter your Wi-Fi name followed by the password and tap Done. The app will create a QR code for your guests to scan from their device. If you're hosting many people and don't want to whip out your phone every time someone wants to hop on your Wi-Fi network, print out the QR code and place it somewhere visible. Your guests will be able to scan it and connect at their convenience. How to share your Wi-Fi password on Android devices Android and Apple devices don't play as well together, but you can still share your Wi-Fi password using an Android device via a QR code. Tap the QR code icon at the bottom left, or use Quick Share to send your Wi-Fi info to compatible devices. David Anders To create a QR code for your Wi-Fi on Android devices: Go to Settings, then tap Connections (or Network, depending on your specific device). Tap Wi-Fi and confirm you are connected to the correct network. Tap the Settings Cog to the right of the network name. Tap QR code in the bottom left of your screen. Share or save the image. If you're sharing between Android devices, you can also use the Quick Share feature. Follow the first three steps above, then tap Quick Share. Your device will scan for compatible devices nearby. Make sure your guest has Quick Share enabled on their phone. Tap on their device name to share your Wi-Fi password. From the Quick Share screen, you can also create a link or QR code to share your Wi-Fi password with others. Setting up a guest Wi-Fi network As mentioned earlier, creating a guest Wi-Fi network is always a good option to secure your Wi-Fi network. A guest Wi-Fi network would allow your guests to connect to your Wi-Fi router without providing access to other devices connected to your network. Here are some reasons to why you may want to set up a guest Wi-Fi: Enhanced security: Anyone with a password to your home Wi-Fi network can access all the devices connected to the network. Anyone with a password to your home Wi-Fi network can access all the devices connected to the network. Threats to your network: In some cases, certain activities while connected to your network can harm it. For instance, if your guests use a malware-infected device, this can expose your network (and all the other connected devices) to viruses. In some cases, certain activities while connected to your network can harm it. For instance, if your guests use a malware-infected device, this can expose your network (and all the other connected devices) to viruses. Certain devices are easier to hack: If you own IoT devices and or smart devices, these devices are prone to hackers. So, establishing a guest Wi-Fi network can be a good thing to shield these devices from hackers. To learn more about securing your internet connection, read our simple guide to setting up a guest Wi-Fi network. For more home internet tips and tricks, check out CNET's Internet Guides and How-To section. Sharing Your Wi-Fi Password FAQs Can you share your Wi-Fi password by using your phone? Yes. You can share your Wi-Fi password with both Apple and Android devices. If you have the latest iOS update, then navigating this process should be easy. It's worth noting that you will need to provide your guests with the email address associated with your Apple ID account, which must be saved in their contacts, and you will need to save theirs as well. If you are an Android user and want to share the Wi-Fi password with an Apple device, you can refer to the QR code, which is in your settings. This will allow you to quickly share Wi-Fi info to compatible devices. What is a good Wi-Fi password? It's always a best practice to create a strong password to secure your network. Your password should be unique, avoid birthdays, phone numbers, names and other easily guessed passwords. While it may be harder to remember, a strong password typically includes a randomization of upper and lower case letters, numbers and special characters. Don't forget to regularly change and update your Wi-Fi password every six months. To learn how you can protect your network, read our 10 Wi-Fi network security tips.
TTG
14-05-2025
- General
- TTG
Baldwins Travel loses Iata accreditation and 'no longer Advantage member'
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Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Tulsi Gabbard's ‘Easily Cracked' Password Habits Revealed
Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard reportedly used the same weak password for multiple online accounts over the course of several years. A review of leaked records from WIRED revealed that Gabbard used an 'easily cracked' password across multiple email addresses and online accounts around the time she served in Congress between 2013 to 2021. In their report published Tuesday, WIRED wrote they were able to review Gabbard's passwords using 'databases of material leaked online created by the open-source intelligence firms District4Labs and Constella Intelligence.' Their review found no indication that she used the password for government accounts, but found that it was used for several personal accounts on multiple occasions instead. Gabbard reportedly used the same, The outlet reports that a password used for an email account tied to Gabbard's personal website, was used as a password for her Gmail account as well. Records of this password date to 2019. That same password was apparently also used for Dropbox and LinkedIn accounts associated with the email address for her personal website, with records dating to 2012. 2018 records also show the password being used on a MyFitnessPal account tied to a email address that was also used for HauteLook, a since-defunct e-commerce site. These records have apparently been available online for years and are easily accessible through commercial databases, according to WIRED. A spokesperson for Gabbard, Olivia Coleman, told the Daily Beast in a statement: 'This is a non-story. As I told WIRED last week, these data breaches happened nearly a decade ago, and the passwords have changed countless times since.' The national intelligence director's seeming password misstep is not her first blunder since assuming the role. The former representative was also part of a Signal group chat leak in March, where The Atlantic editor-in-chief Jeffrey Goldberg was inadvertently added to a text chain discussing military operations in Yemen. Gabbard, along with other top Trump officials like Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, were members of the group chat.
