Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and Holiday sales. It is that time of year. Time to shop, shop, shop, until you drop. Whether you are a shopper that likes to hit the stores on Black Friday, or shop from home, it is important that you use caution when shopping. And it is important that you keep your information, and your valuables safe.
I wrote earlier in the year about Master Lock Vault, and how it can help keep your valuable information safe. You can store passwords for online accounts, credit card information, and other sensitive data that you do not want prying eyes to see. If you are not using it already now is a good time to start. Now is also a good time to tighten up your online passwords. In other words, if your passwords are too easy… change them NOW! Here are 5 tips on creating good passwords:
- Don’t use things that people can figure out easily such as your name, names of spouses, children, or pets.
- Don’t use phone numbers, Social Security numbers, your house number, address, or birthdates.
- Don’t use the same word as your log-in name, or any variation of it. Changing letters to 0s and 1s is not as secure as you think.
- Don’t use any word that can be found in the dictionary.
- Don’t use passwords with double letters or numbers
The above tips ensure that those who may come across information about you, and online hackers who may be using automated tools to hack passwords cannot get into your password. And once you have your password set securely, you can go shopping!
Stick to the below tips when shopping online.
- Stick to reputable shopping sites: We all have our favorite shopping sites. The holidays is not a good time to venture out to try new sites. Why? You would be surprised at the number of false shopping sites that may pop up to attract those looking for hard to find items.
- Steer clear of *iffy* sites: If you do come across a site that you are not familiar with, look out for warning signs. This could be pics that won’t load, a URL that in no way matches the name of the site, no online reviews at all found when Googling the site.
- Do not respond to phishing emails: Phishing emails are evil! You would think that most of us now know what to look out for, but you would be surprised.
- Store passwords securely: Lately as all of my online accounts grow, even I have trouble keeping track of all of my passwords. I try to use a similar password on all sites, however this is not always possible. Some sites have different specifications for password. Some want no less than 8 characters, some do not allow anything other than letters and numbers, some make you change your password once or twice a year. The list goes on. So… I have had to store my passwords. Using Master Lock Vault does this securely. Then if I forget I can use MasterLockVault.com or the Master Lock Vault app on my phone to quickly look them up.
- Secure your personal belongs: Hackers do not only strike online. You need to make sure that you physically project your home, credit cards, bank statements, receipts, and any other items that may have personal information on them. Use secure locks like the Master Lock dialSpeed or WORD Computer Lock to keep your personal belongings safe.
Check out my video below to learn a bit more about how Master Lock can help keep your sensitive data secure includes information on 2 products that can help.
Are you doing a good job of keeping your passwords and personal information safe this holiday season?
Disclosure: Products were received in exchange for this post. All opinions are my own.
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