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Broadband users 'should vary passwords'
Monday 12th January 2009, by Daniel King
Broadband users should ensure that they create different passwords for each website in order to avoid falling victim to online fraud, an expert has said.
Internet security can be a major concern for some surfers, with hackers able to access bank accounts and retrieve other personal details online.
But according to Graham Cluley, senior technology consultant at Sophos, web users can help to minimise this risk by creating alternative log-in details for sites that hold sensitive information.
This way, people can prevent fraudsters from gaining access to all of their websites when only one has been breached, he explained.
Some accounts may be "less sensitive", such as online message boards or forums, with users unlikely to run into much trouble if someone guesses their password.
The code for these sites should still be something that is not a dictionary word, Mr Cluley advised, but it "doesn't really matter" if the passwords are the same.
However, log-in details for online banking sites or shopping accounts should be more complex to help avoid risk, he explained.
"When it's critical information like financial information or something to do with your identity, then you should be using different passwords," he insisted.
Mr Cluley's comments come in a bid to raise awareness of online fraud among internet users, with a recent survey by Accenture revealing that many underestimate the threat of organised cybercriminals.
Indeed, 88 per cent of 800 respondents across the US and the UK expressed their belief that the main cause of online identity fraud is personal irresponsibility.
Categories: Internet Security
