Don’t fall for the temptation to reuse passwords.
Otherwise, if a hacker manages to guess or steal one of your passwords, he could get access to many of your accounts. He could test your password at different sites, hoping that you use the same password for many or all of the different accounts you have set up. This is much easier to do than you might think.
You are probably much more careful with your PayPal and bank passwords than you are with say your email and social networking passwords. But, even if you are equally careful with all passwords, a site that suffers a data breach might accidentally leak one of your passwords. So if you use the same password across many sites, you are putting yourself at unnecessary risk.
It is not even enough to make minor variations.
Hackers test minor variations of stolen passwords, too. Don’t forget that most hackers are good programmers, and they can easily write computer programs that try large numbers of minor variations of a password – automatically. So just adding different digits to a core password is not enough.
Don’t fall for the temptation to reuse passwords.
Otherwise, if a hacker manages to guess or steal one of your passwords, he could get access to many of your accounts. He could test your password at different sites, hoping that you use the same password for many or all of the different accounts you have set up. This is much easier to do than you might think.
You are probably much more careful with your PayPal and bank passwords than you are with say your email and social networking passwords. But, even if you are equally careful with all passwords, a site that suffers a data breach might accidentally leak one of your passwords. So if you use the same password across many sites, you are putting yourself at unnecessary risk.
It is not even enough to make minor variations.
Hackers test minor variations of stolen passwords, too. Don’t forget that most hackers are good programmers, and they can easily write computer programs that try large numbers of minor variations of a password – automatically. So just adding different digits to a core password is not enough.
Online security tips.
Use a current Web browser.
Avoid downloading programs from unknown sources.
Do not use your Social Security number as a username or password. Change your usernames and passwords regularly and use combinations of letters, numbers, and "special characters" such as "pound" (#) and "at" (@) signs. Do not use your online brokerage password as a password for other online accounts.
If your current Wells Fargo Advisors username or password is your Social Security number, change it by following these directions:
Sign in to Access Online.
Click on the Customer Service tab.
Select Change Username or Change Password.
Protect your online passwords. Don't write them down or share them with anyone.
Protect your answers to security questions. Select questions and provide answers that are easy for you to remember but hard for anyone else to guess. Do not write down your security questions or answers or share them with anyone. If you have selected security questions on other websites, avoid using the same questions to protect your Wells Fargo Advisors online account. Please note that we will never ask you to provide answers to your security questions via email.
Use secure websites for transactions and shopping. Shop with merchants you know and trust. Make sure Internet purchases are secured with encryption to protect your account information. Look for "secure transaction" symbols like a lock symbol in the lower right-hand corner of your Web browser window or "https://…" in the address bar of the website. The "s" indicates "secured" and means the webpage uses encryption.
Always log off from any website after making a purchase with your credit or debit card. If you cannot log off, shut down your browser to prevent unauthorized access to your account information.
Close your browser when you're not using the internet.
Protecting your Google Account
Some tips to help keep your Google account safe:
Always sign out when you've finished reading your mail.
Only select Stay signed in if you're signing in from a personal computer.
Clear forms, passwords, cache and cookies in your browser on a regular basis - especially on a public computer.
Keep secrets! Never tell anyone your password or your secret question and answer; if you do tell someone, change it as soon as possible.
Choose a good password and security question and answer.
Do not write this information down anywhere
Never send this information by email
Never re-use your Google Accounts password for an account on another website
Periodically change your password and your security question and answer
Download the free Google Pack, which includes Mozilla's Firefox browser as well as anti-virus and anti-spyware utilities that can help to keep your computer safe.
Never give out your password after following a link sent to you in an email. Access the Google product directly by typing it's URL directly in browser's address bar.
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