Has your email been compromised?
I go into how your email/password could possibly be compromised from a data breach, and how to mitigate it.
Disclaimer: I'm not the end all be all of computer security, I know just enough in Kung Fu not to get my ass kicked, I'll share whatever knowledge I have in helping others from those cyber threats.
Have you ever wondered when you download a app or signed-up for a new account on a website, which includes your email, because you have to verify your account, you create a username and password...right!?!
Example:
BOURBON FINDER APP: Know what upcoming bourbons that will be making it's debut by signing up for this app.
UserName: Ilovebourbon
Password: Blantons2024
You go on throughout your daily life, sipping on your Blantons Bourbon over the weekend...life is good!!
Then BAM! You get a email notification that your bank account is overdrawn...WTF!!!!!!
Welp guess what, the "Bourbon Finder App" got hacked, the culprits were able to get all the data from that app, they got your name, email, and password. They search your name on the internet, research your habits, sites you visit, see what accounts your email is associated with, more than likely using the same password for most of your accounts.
How do I mitigate that Rudy, well you can start by doing the following:
At least 12 characters long but 14 or more is better.
A combination of uppercase letters, lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols.
Not a word that can be found in a dictionary or the name of a person, character, product, or organization.
Significantly different from your previous passwords.
Easy for you to remember but difficult for others to guess. Consider using a memorable phrase like "6MonkeysRLooking^"
Changing your password once every quarter
If you don’t want to memorize multiple passwords, consider using a password manager. The best password managers will automatically update stored passwords, keep them encrypted, and require multi-factor authentication for access. Using a password manager to keep all your passwords, and using a pass-phrase as your master password like "IL@v3Bourb0nontheW33kends" something that you can easily remember.
NEVER WRITE YOUR PASSWORD ON A POST-IT
"How do I know if my password could possibly be compromised?"
I use this site called haveibeenpwned.com this site will let you know how many times your email and password have been compromised
"How do I check if my password is strong"
A password manager can do that for you or if you want to have some fun, check out Bitwarden it can tell how long it will take your current password to be compromised
Hope this was helpful for you, if you have any questions please feel free to reach out to me
Rudy
