Accounts
Passwords, two-step verification and account recovery
Most account takeovers reuse a password that leaked somewhere else. A few habits stop almost all of them.
- 1
One password per account.
Reusing a password means one leak opens every door. Let your phone or a password manager remember them for you.
- 2
Turn on two-step verification.
Especially for email, WhatsApp, Facebook and your bank. An authenticator app is stronger than SMS codes.
- 3
Set a WhatsApp PIN.
WhatsApp two-step verification stops someone who has your SIM or a stolen code from taking your chats.
- 4
Add recovery details now.
A recovery email and phone number set today is what gets your account back tomorrow.
- 5
Check for breaches.
If a service you use announces a breach, change that password first, then anywhere else you used it.
Unique passwords plus two-step verification stops the common attacks.