Password security is becoming increasingly more important as hackers of all levels now seem content to target social media and other areas that previously seemed to be beneath their time and skill level. Colin Powell’s Facebook account was the latest to be hit, with a hacker known as Guccifer spending days on Powell’s account, posting inflammatory comments and personal pictures of former president George W. Bush and other members of the Bush family. Investigators believe that Guccifer recently hacked personal accounts of the Bush family and posted those photos during the Powell hack.
Some analysts are speculating as to whether the Powell Facebook hack is an indication of an isolated incident or whether it is likely that Powell may have been hacked on other sites and a shared password might be allowing Guccifer full access to Powell’s online accounts. And regardless of the situation, it’s yet another public reminder that password security is paramount in today’s world.
When everything from bank accounts to credit cards to healthcare information is accessible online, many people are still conditioned to use simple, memorable passwords as their login information. And while that instinct is understandable – and no one likes to forget their login information – times have changed quickly in recent years. Now, it’s important to go the extra mile to ensure that passwords are secure and unique to each online account. It’s also considered a best practice to update passwords regularly. There are numerous apps and services that will help you with those tasks, but the safest approach is to manage your passwords offline.
Some analysts are speculating as to whether the Powell Facebook hack is an indication of an isolated incident or whether it is likely that Powell may have been hacked on other sites and a shared password might be allowing Guccifer full access to Powell’s online accounts. And regardless of the situation, it’s yet another public reminder that password security is paramount in today’s world.
When everything from bank accounts to credit cards to healthcare information is accessible online, many people are still conditioned to use simple, memorable passwords as their login information. And while that instinct is understandable – and no one likes to forget their login information – times have changed quickly in recent years. Now, it’s important to go the extra mile to ensure that passwords are secure and unique to each online account. It’s also considered a best practice to update passwords regularly. There are numerous apps and services that will help you with those tasks, but the safest approach is to manage your passwords offline.
