PHONE owners are being urged to try a clever password trick that can help you avoid dangerous cyberattacks.
Bad passwords are one of the easiest mistakes for online criminals to exploit.
If you chose a simple password, hacking software can crack it in seconds.
And even complicated passwords can cause problems if you reuse them.
Indeed, if your password is hacked or leaked for an account, then hackers can try it with other applications to break in.
Cybersecurity experts at Kaspersky have now revealed a “phase tip” to help you.
“Think of a favorite phrase, quote, or song,” Kaspersky explained.
“Take a letter (not necessarily the first!) or a combination of letters from each word in the sentence and insert special characters between them.
“Replace letters that look like numbers or special characters with their respective symbols.”
Kaspersky uses the example of the iconic quote from the Star Wars movie: “May the Force be with you.”
It might turn into something like “M@y!T!4!B!W!U” – but you should never use that, as it has now gone live.
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MANAGE!
Above all, it is still not ideal to have to remember so many passwords across multiple accounts.
So the best idea is to simply have a strong password like this that you remember for your main account with a password manager.
Otherwise, you risk leaving your passwords exposed if someone breaks into your manager.
Phone scam statistics
Americans are bombarded with three billion unwanted phone calls per month. What are the figures for the number of victims and the amount of money lost to fraudsters?
- In 2022, Americans lost an estimated $39.5 billion to phone scams, with 68.4 million U.S. citizens affected, according to TechReport.
- The average phone scam victim lost $567.41 each in 2021, a significant increase from 2021’s figure of $182 per victim, according to Hiya.
- The majority of scams occur over the phone, with scammers twice as likely to call than text in 2021, as reported by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).
- In 2021, the United States saw a 56% increase in unwanted phone calls, 60% of which were robocalls.
- U.S. residents received an average of 18 unwanted phone calls per month, although some experts estimate the true figure could be as high as 31 per month.
- Many phone calls from reputable companies may be incorrectly marked as spam, but 38% of companies are unsure whether they are marked as “potential fraud” or not, according to Hiya.
- Never give out personal or financial information if you think a phone call is a scam. For example, your bank will never ask you for this complete information over the phone.
- To reduce unwanted phone calls and scams, sign up to the Do Not Call Registry. By law, telemarketers will have to check this list before calling you.
- Downloading third-party apps like Hiya, Nomorobo or Truecaller can help filter annoying spam calls.
- Try not to share your phone number unless you have to, especially online or with unreliable sources.
“Using ‘qwerty12345’ as your master password is like putting all your valuables in a safe and then leaving the key in the lock,” Kaspersky warned.
For example, if you use Apple’s iCloud Keychain, you can have a complicated password you remember for your Apple ID and use the built-in iPhone manager to store all your other logins.
ALIGHT
To enable this feature, simply go to Settings > [Name] > iCloud > Passwords & Keychain.
Next, simply enable the setting called Enable iCloud Keychain.
Apple explains: “iCloud Keychain remembers things, so you don’t have to.
“It automatically fills in your information, such as your Safari and app usernames, passwords and passkeys, credit card information and security codes, and Wi-Fi passwords. -Fi on any device you approve.
“iCloud Keychain can also help you share passwords and access keys with people you trust.”
Using “qwerty12345” as your master password is like putting all your valuables in a safe and then leaving the key in the lock.
Kaspersky
Google has also created a similar feature for anyone using Android devices.
It’s called Google Password Manager and it’s built directly into Chrome and other Android apps.
To use it, go to Settings > Google > Manage your Google account > Security.
Then tap Sign in to other sites > Password manager > Settings and choose Offer to save passwords.
