Find out when you should change your password

Do you know when you should change your password? Many companies and websites ask their users to change their passwords frequently, so they will feel more secure about their data. However, there are positives and negatives in this practice. Changing your account password several times in a short period of time may not help as much as you might think, just as never changing a website password can pose a danger to your data. 

Therefore, we have separated for you some habits that can increase your security and keep your passwords safe at all times while you browse the website. Check it out!

Don't change your password so often

The idea when changing the password of the login of a website or social network is to limit access to your data in case it is stolen. However, when changing passwords frequently, we often aim to use passwords similar to the previous one, modifying just one letter or adding a different number to the end of the word, which makes it much easier for hackers guess them.

Do not save passwords in your browser

When creating an account on any website, most browsers such as Google Chrome e Opera GX will offer the user an option to “save your password”. Although it seems like a practical way of browsing, since you wouldn't have to type your password again every time you go to login on a website, this practice is dangerous. Browsers are constant targets of malwares, which are basically “programs” designed to harm users browsing the web, and they can either damage your data or cause your passwords to leak.

Beyond the malwares, if an outsider uses your computer, he will have access to your login on that site where your password was saved and you can have free access to all the data on that page as if it were you. Ideally, do not use this functionality for personal sites such as social networks, banks or work sites.

When should you change your password?

Now, you already know that changing the password with some frequency can make the work of hackers, because we usually use weak passwords and similar to other passwords we have. When we use strong and very different passwords, we tend to make another mistake: wanting to save them in the browser, which would put them at risk because of malwares. So when would be the right time to change your password?

When a security breach occurs

Any website, nowadays, can suffer a security breach and have its data invaded by a hacker. When this information is accessed without authorization, some websites issue a notice to their users that their service or website has been attacked. If you receive this notice by E. or find out from a news item that a particular site has suffered this type of attack, immediately change your password.

When you open malware or get phishing

Os malwares, as explained earlier, are “programs” designed to cause damage primarily to computers and servers, while a Phishing it's a way of deceiving people online in order for them to share their personal data, such as passwords and credit card numbers.

Changing your password won't get you out of all the damage that can be caused by a malware or if you suffer a Phishing, but this will prevent other attackers from impersonating you or accessing your account in the future. Ideally, use another device when changing the password for one of your accounts. Always keep your antivirus updated and be careful when clicking exclusive links unknown.

When someone tries to access your account

Most websites these days ask for your phone number or some E. security in case something happens to your account. With these means, you can be alerted if someone has tried to log into your account. If this happens, the first step is to log into your account to check that no one has made any changes and then change the password immediately.

When another account is hacked

If you use the same E. and password for multiple sites and one of those accounts is hacked, all other accounts will be vulnerable. Change your password immediately for all sites and create different passwords for each one. Even if your account has not been hacked, if you have several websites with the same password, it is recommended that you create a unique password for each website, aiming for greater security of your data.

After sharing your password

Today, there are so-called password managers that allow users to share access to their accounts with other people for as long as they determine. If even after the app removes the other user's access, you are still concerned about your security online, change the password for the account you shared.

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