2012 – the year the online password broke.
With leaks and dumps become all too common, that string of characters – no matter the combination of numbers, upper or lower case letters – you use as passwords for pretty much all your access to online services simply can’t protect you anymore. We’ve seen how 8.1 million people in the United States fall victim to identity theft every year, and a further 1.6 million households have had their bank accounts compromised.
Perhaps all is not lost – technology companies such as Google are looking at alternatives to the password for authenticating access to online services, including the use of physical “keys” or even a cryptographic card. However, until these new methods are more widely available (and certified safe for use), we’ll just have to take precautions and protect ourselves online.
Here’s an infographic to show you the facts about how your online password is near obsolete and suggests some ways to protect yourself:
[Via: Backgroundcheck.org]
