How to pick safe online passwords

PASSWORDS are often the last line of defence for consumers trying to stop cyber criminals from stealing their personal information and money.

But despite warnings from authorities to toughen up password protection, security specialists say the two most common online passwords are “password” and “123456”.

With fraudsters now using software that guesses millions of passwords per second, it pays to protect yourself.

Proofpoint Australia country manager Crispin Kerr said even strong passwords could be considered weak if reused across multiple accounts, because “a ripple effect almost immediately occurs” after a data breach.

Criminals quickly upload usernames and password combinations across many websites, hoping to find victims’ duplicate passwords.

“So instead of having to correct one compromised account, users that duplicate passwords might have many more to deal with,” Mr Kerr said.

He said a good password contained at least 12 characters “with at least two or three different types of characters in unpredictable places”.

Some security specialists suggest using a favourite phrase or line from a movie with only the first letter of each word used.

Cybersecurity group Norton’s senior director of consumer business, Mark Gorrie, said the names of family members, pets or sports teams should be avoided as these could be found by fraudsters through forms you fill out or social media profiles.

“Do not click on links and attachments in suspicious emails, change passwords every three months, ensure you have up-to-date security software and avoid using public Wi-Fi,” he said.

Mr Gorries said free password management software helped. “I would also suggest switching to two-step verification or multi-factor verification wherever offered.” Fraud Watch is presented in partnership with The Commonwealth Bank.

If you have a scams story let us know at fraudwatch@news.com.au. To find out more, head to fraudwatchaustralia.com.au