Strong protection starts with strong passwords. Use a variety of lowercase and uppercase letters, numbers, characters, and symbols; the more jumbled, the better. And, be sure to change them every few months. Never use combinations that include personal information or are easy to guess, like the website name, your name, birthday, or social security number.

Don’t use the same password for more than one account. It seems like the easy choice, but it comes with risks. If a hacker does get into one of your accounts, then they’ll be able to access all the other ones with the same login.

If you just can’t memorize all your passwords, which we know is a challenge, write them down and keep them in a locked and secure place in your home. You can utilize password manager tools to help you keep track of them all.