Issues Associated With Access to Online Services

(1) The internet has become one of the most relied on resources in the modern age; in fact, more than 3 billion people have access to it (2). Many people today have fully entrusted the services on the internet and have allowed access to private information that they wouldn't share with anyone else. While some of the services on the internet may be convenient, there are serious threats online that take your information and use it against you.
Reliability of Passwords
Network Security
Identity Theft
Permanence of Information Released Onto the Internet
Questions and Answers
Today, a single word can grant someone access to almost all of your personal information. This word is the password, and it is important that you know how to create it properly and protect it effectively.

To create a strong and reliable password, it is vital to incorporate the following criteria:

  1. At least 8 characters
  2. One or more of each:
    • Lower-case letter
    • Upper-case letter
    • Number(s)
    • Punctuation
  3. Lookalike characters to protect against password glimpses like:
    • (Letter O) O = 0 (number 0)
    • (Lower-case L) l = I (upper-case I)
    • (Letter S) S = $ (dollar sign)
  4. Do not use personal information
  5. Do not use keyboard patterns like qwerty or 12345
  6. Do not use common acronyms
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Use "How Secure is my Password" to test your password strength.

However, it is hard to create so many long, complicated, and unique passwords without eventually forgetting them. Password managers allow you to create these tricky passwords without having to remember them, as they store all your private information (passwords, PINs, credit card numbers, answers to security questions) safety with heavy encryption (21).