POP QUIZ:
When someone has 2FA (Two-factor authenticator) can you freely give out your password?
No. Passwords should be kept highly secret and only remember in your head.
If you get 2FA texts coming to you – should you be concerned?
Yes. That means someone has hacked your password but can’t progress. Passwords should be reset.
How do you tell if the sending email is legit?
- If it is coming from an odd email – then it is probably a phishing attempt.
- If it is coming from a Gmail account that is another warning sign.
- You can copy and paste the domain portion of the email address into a search engine to see if a legitimate website comes up related to that industry. Many times they mimic the domain to pretend they are the company.
- Feel free to contact the person via text or call to verify that this is a real email
- Always ask someone else’s opinion, sometimes in your rush – you can misjudge or make assumptions.
Can I use a strong password for all my accounts?
No. If one gets compromised all accounts are jeopardized. Use unique passwords for each account. Hacked passwords are posted on hacker websites so all accounts using that password is at risks.
Can a password like this work? BearsChicago1985!!!
No. A password hacker can crack any passwords related to your name, location, important dates, etc. Also any variations on your previous passwords can be brute force cracked.
How do hackers access your password?
They ask. Hackers use phishing email to request with urgency to change your password and a high percentage of people just willing give their password away. No financial institute or Microsoft would ever ask for your password or ask you to change it out of the blue. So don’t give away your password.