Protecting Your Passwords with John Marshall Bank
According to Cybernews, in early July 2024, nearly 10 billion passwords have been leaked and spread on a hacking forum. Called RockYou2024, the leak adds around 1.5 billion passwords to a database that contained around 8.4 billion passwords from a similar leak called RockYou2021. With this much data circulating the public internet, the risks of fraud are high but John Marshall Bank has some steps you can take to help prevent yourself from falling victim.
- Reset the passwords of any accounts that are at risk, or all your accounts across all platforms to be safe. When you reset your passwords, it’s important to NOT use the same password everywhere and utilize a combination of numbers, letters, and symbols.
- Enable two or multi factor verification where possible. Most platforms allow you to add your phone number, a different email, or an authenticator app to give your account an extra layer of security. While taking an extra step every time you sign in to an account may seem like a hassle, it’s a lot easier than dealing with the fallout of financial fraud.
- Utilize a trusted password manager application or software if you struggle to remember all your passwords. The best ones usually aren’t free but are well worth the price and are much safer than writing everything on a piece of paper or in your phone.
When scammers have access to your passwords, they have unrestricted access to your personal and financial information. A talented hacker and scammer only need access to one of your accounts, even if it’s something as simple as a social media account, to begin causing serious damage. With that in mind, every action you take to protect yourself from fraud actively saves you money. Something as simple as changing your passwords goes a long way in guarding your hard-earned savings.
For more information on passwords, identity theft, and related scams, visit our security center.