Security Basics for Parents: Passwords

In this blog, I will focus on topics that directly concern children’s privacy; however, every once in a while, we have to talk about security and privacy basics for parents too. Because you cannot protect your children’s information if you cannot protect your own.

How many online accounts do you think you have accumulated over the years? Potentially hundreds. It is unrealistic to think we will remember every username and password combination (that we remember to own). So, we do a few things hackers love, such as setting short passwords, reusing them, or never changing them. We are all guilty of one or a few of the things here. It’s okay, that’s why we are here.

Here are a few things to consider while managing your online accounts:

• Avoid creating usernames and email addresses that include your information: name, last name, birth date, and other details that are useful for breaching your account.
• Avoid short and simple passwords. They are easy to remember and quick to type. If your password has something like password1, abc123, 123456, qwerty, you have just picked yourself one of the most popular passwords THAT HAVE BEEN BREACHED over and over again. (You can read this article from CNN: How hackable is your password?)
• Never write down your passwords, anywhere… I saw this in too many “great gifts” lists, so I have to call out: A password notebook/organizer is a TERRIBLE gift.
• Avoid reusing usernames and passwords. At times the username will be your email address, unavoidably, but exercise this especially for your passwords. Shared password means, if one account is breached, a hacker would have immediate access to your other accounts too.
• Consider using a password manager, like 1Password or LastPass, to create long, complex, and unique passwords. Most devices include one, like the Apple KeyChain. I encourage you to Google “best password managers,” read about them and pick one that is best for you.
• Avoid sharing accounts and passwords with people you love and trust. Please don’t gasp at this – it is for your protection and theirs.
• Avoid password remembering functionality if you are on a device that doesn’t exclusively belong to you. I would go as far as suggesting the same on your own devices too, but I am aware that it is too much convenience to let go.
• Please do not type your password anywhere other than where it belongs: the website account login page. I am aware of websites that may ask for to link accounts. If you are not particularly security-savvy, look for an alternative way or call customer service to validate accounts. This way, you never have to decide when it is an authentic request, and when it is not.
• Do not share your password via email or over the phone, even if you are convinced that it is a legitimate request. Ask for an alternative way, and do not give in. No company that cares about your security will ask for this information through anywhere other than its login page.
• Change your passwords – change them when you get a default password assigned to you, no matter how long or complex it looks. Change your existing passwords, especially important ones, as often as you can.
• It is okay to permanently delete accounts you don’t use. You may think it is no harm to keep, but it is your information in the company’s systems that has to be protected. Does it matter which company loses your credit card number, bank, or your favorite merchant? It is okay to cut down the number of accounts that “know you” and request the deletion of your data if it is offered.

Parents, I am fully aware this can take a lot of your time to improve. But I can assure you, it is still less time (and money) than recovering an important account, your identity, or credit line if breached. Your breached accounts could lead to loss of your children’s critical information, such as SSN, and it is much harder to catch. Please do invest time to make improvements on this topic, so your children are not impacted, directly or indirectly.