It’s time to get password secure this summer and continue the fight against fraudsters

Recycling your password online might seem like a good idea when it comes to remembering your log in details in a rush. However, it means even if just one of your accounts is caught in a data breach, it puts every other account that uses that password at risk.

This is even the case if you use different passwords but make small tweaks from account to account (Adding a capital letter or ! here, changing an I to a 1 there) – hackers know you do this. They have tools that mimic human behaviour and try the most common variations to break the code.

Help minimise the risk by keeping every single password completely unique – a password manager can help you keep track (more below).

The longer the password the harder it is to crack, it’s as simple as that. While many sites will require passwords start from just 6 characters, I always recommend a longer password which combines:

• Letters: Both uppercase (A-Z) and lowercase (a-z).
• Numbers: 0-9.
• Special characters (optional): Symbols like @, #, $,

It’s much harder and would take much longer – years even – for a hacker to crack using brute force technology.

Remember 14 is a minimum not the rule, the longer the better.

Two-factor authentication or multi-factor authentication (2FA or MFA) means you have to two-step log in process. This would require you to use not just a password but an additional form of identification to verify it’s you and successfully access your account. You might need to enter a unique code or pin sent to your email or phone that will only work for a short period of time.

With MFA or 2FA, should a hacker get hold of your password, it still wouldn’t be enough to pass security on your account unless they have some way to get hold of this second piece of information.

Meanwhile a passkey scraps the password all together, instead using biometrics (think when you use your fingerprint or facial recognition on your phone) to verify a log in. This is ultra-secure because it’s generated from your device and cannot be intercepted by a company data breach.

Not every site will let you do these options, but when it’s an option, always go for it as an extra layer of protection.

It’s a bit like a digital vault for your passwords. Not only can it help create unique difficult to hack passwords for you – but also makes remembering all of them that much easier. That’s because it stores them all securely and automatically filling them in when you’re logged into and using a secure device taking the hassle away from passwords.

There are many free password managers out there to get you started, and many web browsers have them automatically set up.

Remember, writing your passwords down either on paper, telling friends or family or on a notes app on your phone is not secure.

While I always recommend unique passwords for every online account, it can be tricky if you’ve spent years using the same password to know where to start. If I was in this position today, these would be the first four things I’d change.

That’s not to say other accounts aren’t important, they are, but these accounts have some of the most sensitive information in there and create the biggest risks – financial or otherwise – for you if they were accessed. There might be a few others you want to prioritise too, particularly if you store credit card information in there.

After that, help make the process more manageable by changing a password every time you log in to other accounts and committing to using new unique passwords in future.

In a matter of minutes, a hacker can connect the dots between what you say on social media and what you do online; the more you put out publicly, the higher the risk. This is particularly the case if you use personal details that are easy to find, like your family or pets name, or birthday. If I was a black hat hacker, this is the first thing I’d guess.

Keep your social accounts private where possible, and always think before uploading information whether this could be providing a piece of the puzzle when logging in.

While public Wi-Fi is convenient, it’s important to understand today’s security landscape. Modern apps and browsers automatically encrypt most of your communication using protocols like HTTPS, providing a strong baseline of defence against interception.

However, the primary risk remains: malicious hotspots disguised as legitimate networks. Attackers use these to monitor your activity and redirect you to harmful websites.

For this reason, using your phone’s mobile hotspot is the most secure option. If you must use public Wi-Fi, a VPN (Virtual Private Network) is the best way to stay protected, as it fully encrypts all of your device’s internet traffic.