password
How Long Should a Password Be?
The old advice was eight characters, including uppercase, lowercase, digits, and symbols. Modern computers can crack those passwords in hours. I’ll describe why length matters more than anything and how long your passwords really need to be.
Your Password May Not Be Used to Encrypt Your Data, and That’s Okay
There’s a surprising and counterintuitive technique related to how some encryption tools work: your password is not what locks your data. I’ll describe what keeps your data secure and why changing your password doesn’t always mean re-encrypting all your data.
How Do I Change My Router’s Password?
Your router’s default password might as well be no password at all. Changing it is an important step you can take to secure your home network. I’ll show you how to find your router’s settings and lock it down with a strong password.
Why Password Managers Are [Still] Safer than the Alternatives
If you’re not using a password manager, you’re likely compromising your security more than necessary. Here’s why using one is safer.
Do I Need a New Email Address if Mine Is Involved in a Breach?
Was your email exposed in a data breach? Don’t rush to get a new address. I’ll discuss what really matters, like strong passwords, staying alert, and simple steps to keep your account secure.
How Do Websites Keep Passwords Secure?
I’ll give you a high level overview of how websites know you typed the right password without actually storing it. The trick is something called hashing, and once you understand it, you’ll know exactly what to look for the next time a data breach hits the news.
Phishing: How to Know It When You See It
Phishing is a way scammers trick you into providing personal and financial details. Phishing opens the door to identity theft and more.
How Do I Protect My Laptop Data From Theft?
Lose your laptop, and your data could end up in the wrong hands. I’ll walk you through the best ways to encrypt your files, from simple zip passwords to full disk encryption with BitLocker, VeraCrypt, or Cryptomator, so your secrets stay safe no matter what.
Who’s Trying to Change My Password?
If your account has not actually been hacked, there’s little anyone can do to find out who’s trying to log in as you. But there are steps you can take to protect yourself from would-be hackers and phishing scams.
Will backups run if my PC asks for a password?
Scheduling regular backups is an important step in your overall backup strategy. But they do have to run when your computer is on and accessible.
How Do I Change My Hotmail or Outlook.com Password?
How to change your Hotmail or Outlook.com password isn’t always obvious, particularly when Microsoft keeps changing the interface. I’ll walk you through how to change your Hotmail password.
