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Safety Saturday: New Year, New Password

Jan 28, 2023

Anyone can become a victim of internet crime.

Computers carry a lot of sensitive and important data; therefore, keeping that data safe is a major priority. Anyone can become a victim of internet crime. To prevent compromise, experts recommend changing your password often, using biometrics such as your face or fingerprint for mobile sign-on when available, and opting-in to alerts for unusual activity.


In 2021, the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) received a record number of complaints from the American public: 847,376 reported complaints - a 7% increase from 2020. The potential losses of reported complaints exceeded $6.9 billion.


Scammers hack accounts so they can send phony messages from a trusted email address in hopes of enticing recipients to act. The goal could be to get these email contacts to send money, turn over personal information, or click a link that installs malware, spyware, or a virus on a device. An email hack could also put your colleagues, friends, and family members in your contacts list at risk for being scammed too.


According to a study completed in 2020 by LastPass, 91% of people know the risks of reusing passwords across their online accounts, but 66% do it anyway. Regularly changing your password will reduce your risk of exposure and will help avoid several IT Security dangers.


To reduce the risk of unauthorized access, experts recommend:

  • not only changing your password but also creating a complex password, increasing the password strength. Strong passwords consist of both uppercase and lowercase letters, symbols and numbers and avoid easy-to-determine references like important dates or names. Secure passwords should also contain at least 12 characters.
  • using a unique password for every account.
  • changing your security questions. The hacker may have gotten access to your account by guessing the answers to security questions. They could hack your account again if you don’t change these questions and answers. Avoid choosing questions with answers that can easily be guessed or found online.
  • turning on two-step verification. Also known as multi-factor authentication, this extra security measure typically requires you to enter your username and password along with a temporary passcode to get into an account.


Locally, The Woodlands Township has announced Project 365, an initiative for 2023 to educate the community on Identity Theft and Scam prevention. Events will be hosted throughout the year to better help you from becoming a victim of Identity Theft and learn the signs and warnings of scams.


Knowledge is the key to prevention: by educating yourself about possible threats and ways to protect yourself, you can thwart threats before they cause damage.

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