Monday, July 27, 2009

Why You Should Change Your Computer Passwords

Those troublesome computer passwords…but there’s even more trouble if someone hacks in and gets all your information. From Slate:

"Your passwords aren't very secure. Even if you think they are, they probably aren't. Do you use the same or similar passwords for several different important sites? If you don't, pat yourself on the back; if you do, you're not alone—one recent survey found that half of people online use the same password for all the sites they visit. Do you change your passwords often? Probably not; more than 90 percent don't. If one of your accounts falls to a hacker, will he find enough to get into your other accounts? For a scare, try this: Search your e-mail for some of your own passwords. You'll probably find a lot of them, either because you've e-mailed them to yourself or because some Web sites send along your password when you register or when you tell them you've forgotten it. If an attacker manages to get into your e-mail, he'll have an easy time accessing your bank account, your social networking sites, and your fantasy baseball roster."

To get some easy tips about how to make yourself more secure online, read the rest of the article here.

Work-in-Progress

DC-area author Leslie Pietrzyk explores the creative process and all things literary.