Oops, did we just put your password in the title of this blog? You had better change it!
Supporting Australians to be smart, safe and responsible online is important to us - but, sometimes it takes some tough love. As part of National Cyber Security Awareness Week, we’re inviting all Australians to take a moment to think about their safety and security on the web - and, hopefully in the process change a password or two.
There are a few simple steps that every Australian can take right now to stay safe and secure online. Making sure your passwords are secure is a great place to start.
You wouldn’t want one master key that unlocks your car, opens your front door and provides entry to the jewellery in your safe - it’s the same on the web. Hackers love it when you choose a generic password and use it across every website you visit - because if they manage to find out your password they can access all the sites you care about.
It’s important to change your passwords often and to develop a variety of long passwords, which contain letters, numbers and symbols. You should also ensure that you have different passwords for each of your important accounts like email, social media and online banking.
When spending time on the web, make sure you’re using an up-to-date modern browser and only download files and visit sites that you know are safe and trust.
And finally, always lock your screen when you're finished using your computer, tablet or phone, and for added security, set it to lock automatically when it goes to sleep.
Google is investing hundreds of millions of dollars and has hundreds of security experts that are making the web safer for everyone and you can help too. If you’re looking for more advice about how to stay safe online you can read our top safety and security tips at google.com/goodtoknow.
Posted by Johnny Luu, Communications and Public Affairs, Australia and New Zealand
