Choosing a smart password
For every unique account, use a unique password.
Using the same password on different websites allows hijackers to access your important accounts if they manage to steal your password from a less secure website. At a minimum, choose unique passwords for important accounts like your email and online banking.
What's a smart password?
Your password is the first line of defense against cyber criminals. Follow these tips to create a smart password:
Use a unique password for all your important accounts Use a password with a mix of letters, numbers, and symbols Create a password that's hard for others to guess Make sure your password recovery options are up-to-date and secure Keep your passwords in a secret place that isn't easily visible Why are unique passwords important?
Using a unique password helps keep your accounts and data safe. It's especially important to use unique passwords for important accounts such as banking, social networks, and email. You're likely to have dozens of accounts across the web, and you can't guarantee the security of all of those accounts. Many smaller companies don't have security technology capable of guarding your data from cyber criminals. When you use the same password across the web, a cyber criminal can gain access to a less secure account and then use that password to compromise your important accounts.
How do I add an extra layer of security?
Once you’ve created a smart password, you can add an extra layer of security by enabling 2-step verification. Not all Internet accounts have this security option, but your Google Account does. 2-step verification requires you to have access to your phone, as well as your username and password, when you sign in. This means that if someone steals or guesses your password, the potential hijacker still can't sign in to your account because they don't have your phone. Now you can protect yourself with something you know (your password) and something you have (your phone).