How often do you change your passwords? It is possible that you are wasting time.
Many people think that regularly changing their passwords is a good way to increase security, particularly for social media or email accounts. However, according to a recent study, this habit is not as beneficial as it seems.
Although updating your login credentials on a regular basis has been advised by cybersecurity experts for years to make it harder for cybercriminals to access your account, the truth is that this strategy may be unnecessary and even harmful in certain situations.
As PCMag notes, many users believe that the key to protecting their accounts is to create new, strong passwords on a regular basis, but that’s not entirely true. If you continue this practice thinking it will boost your security, you’re probably wasting your time.
The real security lies not in how often you change your login credentials, but in the quality of those credentials. The key is that each key should be strong, unique, and difficult to crack. This means it should be complex enough to resist brute force attacks, but it should also be easy for you to remember.
To achieve this, you can use long combinations of characters that include uppercase letters, lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols. Additionally, each account should have its own unique password, and avoid reusing the same password on different platforms.
To manage them securely, it's best to use a password manager, such as 1Password or LastPass. These tools allow you to create secure passwords, store them in encrypted form, and easily access them when you need them, allowing you to access your accounts without having to memorize them.
It is also advisable to enable two-step authentication, which adds an extra layer of security by requesting an additional code sent to your mobile phone or email. Thanks to these two measures, you will be able to protect your data without having to change your passwords every month or week.
- You should only change your passwords in the event of a data leak or attack.
Experts recommend changing your passwords only when you suspect they have been compromised. This can happen in a number of scenarios, such as if you discover suspicious activity on your accounts, if your device is infected with malware, or if the platform you have an account on has a data leak.
It is worth noting that cyber attacks on large companies can expose millions of credentials on the dark web, making it easy for hackers to access the accounts of affected users. In these cases, changing your password immediately is essential to prevent anyone from accessing your information.
While there is a belief that changing your passwords every month improves the security of your accounts, there is actually no solid evidence to support this practice. This recommendation was first proposed years ago as a preventative measure against cyber attacks, but it is now considered outdated.
In fact, changing your login credentials too often can lead to mistakes, such as reusing old passwords or passwords that are difficult to remember. This, instead of improving your security, makes you more vulnerable to attacks.
If you really want to protect yourself, stop worrying about constantly changing your passwords and focus on creating strong, unique keys for each account. With password manager support and two-step authentication enabled, you'll have the best defense.