McAfee Advisory: Best Practices for Internet Password Safety and Data Security

McAfee Offers Best Practices for Internet Password Safety and Data Security

LinkedIn experienced a data breach yesterday whereby 6.5 million passwords were compromised. McAfee recommends that all LinkedIn users, regardless of whether they were affected, change their passwords immediately to ensure the security of their personal data.

At a time like this, it’s important to reiterate the importance of frequently changing passwords to any and all online accounts. While many websites, including LinkedIn, utilize encryption measures to secure data, it’s good practice to maintain an ever-changing and complex password. The longer your password remains the same, the more likely it will be discovered by someone seeking to gain access to unauthorized information.

Changing your password ensures security by:

• Revoking access to any unauthorized person with access to your account.

• Restarting the process for anyone trying to break your password.

Doug Cooke, director of Sales Engineering at McAfee Canada, said,” The news of the LinkedIn hack is a good reminder to all Internet users on the importance of maintaining an ever-changing and complex password. A secure passphrase may be the only thing standing between your personal data, and those who wish to steal it. Password maintenance is simply an unavoidable best practice in today’s digital world. McAfee advises all LinkedIn users to change their passwords immediately and choose a unique complex passphrase to all other websites requiring authentication, including social networks, banking websites, and email platforms.”

Some tips from McAfee for best practices regarding password security include the following:

• Change your password frequently, and make it stronger after every change.

• Use a different password for every password-protected account. Otherwise, if someone is able to gain access to one password, he will literally own your online presence.

• It’s always a good idea to use letters, numbers, and symbols in passwords. This makes it harder for hackers to guess your password