Your three most important passwords are your iPhone unlock code, the login password for your Mac, and your email password. Why? If any one of these gets compromised a bad actor has the keys to your entire life. Even if you take the time to have secure passwords at your bank and other financial institutions, a weak email password opens a back door to resetting all of these. And if you've had the same email password for years, chances are it's already in the dark web as part of a data breach.
Your email is the key to your accounts. It's the way you verify your identity, communicate with customers, and interact with friends and family. Someone getting access means that they can impersonate you and do everything from filing fake tax returns, opening new bank accounts, redirecting business payments, and even compromising personal relationships.
The good news is that staying secure isn't all that difficult. Here is what you need to do: - Create a Secure Password - If you are using Apple's Passwords app then it's easy to create and store complex passwords. If you can remember your email password, it's not secure. If you haven't changed it in five years, it's not secure either.
- Use Multi-Factor Authentication - This could be via a text message or through an authenticator app.
- Change It Every So Often - You shouldn't go years without changing up this most secure password. Apple's Passwords will show you when the password was changed, so it's easy to keep track. That's why we like Apple's Passwords app so much.
- For Businesses: Use Delegates and Groups - Only the designated user should have the account password for any individual email at a business. If an account requires multiple people to access it, there is the option to setup Groups or Delegates. This keeps the account secure, and provides an audit trail for who is accessing what and when.
Securing your email isn't automatic. It takes some work, but if done, the peace of mind that it will give you with regard to your personal security is definitely worth the effort. | 