THE PA$$WORD PROBLEM

Experts suggest a clever tiered system to stay secure

TIER ONE

Use a very complex password for your main email account and set up two-step authentication (an additional code that’s needed to sign into any unknown computer or phone). Use this secure password for banking, too.

TIER TWO

For social media, Netflix, ebay, Amazon – anything where someone can spend your money or

gather private information about you – use one complex password, different to your email and banking password.

TIER THREE

Set up a separate email account just for one-off online purchases and make up a random password you’ve never used before and don’t worry about remembering it. You can always reset the password if need be.

As for choosing a complex password, a phrase of three unrelated words is recommended. ‘Tulip chorizo birdcage’ for example, along with a combination of symbols and numbers. Don’t simply substitute symbols for letters – c@ for cat or cla$$ for class – as that’s too obvious. Instead, add them to your phrase: ‘Tulip&chorizo4birdcage!’

Check if your email account has been compromised in large data breaches at haveibeenpwned.com.

The free check, using your email address, tells you how and when.