Passwords such as "qwerty," "abc123," or worse, "password" are easy for you to remember but these are also not secure. If you use common passwords, it would take fraudsters and hackers just a few seconds to gain unauthorized access to your online accounts.
Related: 4 Tips to Make Your Account More Secure
Remember that your password is your first line of defense for your online accounts. That's why it's important to have a strong password to keep your accounts safe and secure. Here are a few tips to make a strong password:
How to Make a Strong Password
1. Make it long
Lengthier passwords that are at least 12 characters at the minimum can already help.
2. Don't use common words
As mentioned, passwords like "qwerty" or "password" are definitely not secure. Making these passwords longer like "qwertypassword" isn't any better. Although it's long, it's still easy to guess.
3. Avoid personal information
Passwords with your personal information are easy to guess especially if the information is on your social media profiles.
Examples:
- Names of your children
- Birthday of a loved one
- Street name
4. Combine uppercase, lowercase, numbers, symbols, and special characters
Once you have a long, uncommon, impersonal, and random password in mind, you can get creative and mix up some of the letters with numbers and special characters.
Example: T0otH!p@$+3S0!L! instead of toothpastesoil
Security Tips:
1. Use a different password for every account
Your password should be unique for each of your online accounts. Recycling passwords is risky because if someone was able to get your password for one account, they would be able to gain access to your other accounts as well.
Tip: With the number of online accounts you probably have, it's unlikely you'll be able to remember all your passwords if they're long and unique. Password managers such as 1Password and LastPass generates and stores your passwords so you won't have to. Just make sure you remember your password for your password manager!
2. Never share your password
NEVER give away your password, especially to someone you don't know. It's just as bad if you write down your password and tape it to your laptop. If you really need to write it down, make sure to keep it in a place that is hidden and locked.
Remember: Coins.ph will never ask for your password or 2FA code via email, text, or other means of communication outside of our sign in screens and transaction confirmations.
3. Enable 2FA
Having a password is not enough to protect your online accounts. With two-factor authentication (2FA), you would need to enter a code, either delivered to your mobile phone via SMS or generated through an authenticator app. While an attacker might be able to remotely steal your password, it's unlikely they'll also be able to physically steal your phone. If an attacker can physically steal your phone, it's unlikely they'd also be able to get your password. This makes your online accounts much better protected. (Read: What is 2FA?)
