Smart Passwords Will Keep You Safer Online #MasteringAuto

This is a sponsored post.

As we head into the holiday shopping season, scammers are hard at work trying to get your passwords in any way they can. The best defense is a good offense. That holds true for passwords. It’s a lot easier to be proactive than it is to clean up the mess when a scammer gets hold of your passwords and credit card information.

I have teamed up with MetLife Auto & Home^® offers tips to help keep you safer online. Let’s start by looking at the passwords you use to access your accounts everyday.

Smart Passwords

Creating smart passwords is the first step to a good offense. Here are some tips and my comments are in italics after the tip.

• Use a different password for every online account you have. This is so important because even if you are creating a password for an account where there is no important information. If you use that same password for your bank, scammers will try to use your password elsewhere.
• Avoid using your name or family member’s names. That is information that is so easy to find, so guessing your password won’t take much effort.
• Avoid using word in the dictionary. Your password shouldn’t look like a word at all. Use variations of small letter, caps, numbers and symbols.
• Select a password that can’t easily be seen if someone is watching you over your shoulder (because they will.)
• Get creative with your passwords. Think of a sentence and use the first letter of each word and add numbers. Example: “My wedding date is March 3 and we got married in New York.” might translate to a password like: MwdiM3!awgmiNY
• Use a Password Manager program to create and store your passwords.

If you are unsure if your password is safe, you can test it online.

 Protecting Your Accounts Online

Creating a smart password is not the only way to protect yourself online. Here are several other actions you can take to keep your information safe.

• Do not tell anyone your password. This may seem obvious, but you’d be surprised at how many people tell others their password and regret it later.
• Be sure you know what a phishing scam looks like.
• Change your password every 30 to 90 days.
• Be careful of public wifi service. Have a password to access information on your computer, so no one else can get to your files when you are connected to public wifi.
• Do not put a lot of personal information online.

 Let’s Talk about being safe online. Share your online safety tips.

Disclosure: As a MetLife Auto Preferred Blogger, I receive compensation for my posts. All opinions are my own.

MetLife Auto & Home is a brand of Metropolitan Property and Casualty Insurance Company and its affiliates: Economy Preferred Insurance Company, Metropolitan Casualty Insurance Company, Metropolitan Direct Property and Casualty Insurance Company, Metropolitan General Insurance Company, Metropolitan Group Property and Casualty Insurance Company, and Metropolitan Lloyds Insurance Company of Texas, all with administrative home offices in Warwick, RI. Coverage, rates, and discounts are available in most states to those who qualify.