METHODS OF BEEFING UP ONLINE SECURITY

Passwords are the first line of defense in protecting access to our finances, credit information, documents, e-mail and identities. But we, as a collective nation, do a pretty lousy job of guarding that line.

Among baby boomers, 58 percent still don't use secure passwords, according to the 2016 Norton "Cybersecurity Insights Report." And digitally native millennials are even more vulnerable.
Passwords aren't foolproof, of course. Any determined hacker can get past them, just as a burglar can get past a locked door. But despite repeated warnings from experts, many people are still doing the digital equivalent of leaving a key in the lock of their front door.
Protecting yourself isn't hard, but it does require a little effort. Here are six ways to beef up your online security.

1. Use a different password for each site

55% of people use the same password on most of the sites that they visit, according to a survey of 1805 adults by Ofcom, the UK's communication watchdog. With an upsurge in mega hacks this is leaving a lot of people vulnerable. Once hackers have access to a list of passwords used on one site, they can then use these passwords on any other site that you use as well.

One of the easiest ways to protect your passwords is to not replicate them between different sites. If your password is compromised on one of the sites, it should still be protected on other sites that you use. If you think you will have trouble remembering all those passwords, see how to use password management software.
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