The Biggest Online Security Leak? A Weak Password.

We are told that we need to have different passwords for each online account, but the truth is that most people use the same or similar passwords for a lot of their accounts. And this might be OK for less important accounts, such as the account that lets you comment on your preferred news site, or a social media account that you don't use very often.

But there is at least one account whose password is effectively the password for nearly all of your accounts. That is your email account. Someone who has your email password can use your email to RESET your other passwords and take over those accounts also.

Because your email account is a single point of failure for your entire online security, it is vital to have an email password that:

1. Is different from all of your other passwords.

2. Is a very strong password (at least 12 characters long, contains no names or dictionary words, has some special characters).

3. Is not recorded or saved where someone else can find it.

If your email password doesn't meet these criteria, please consider changing it so that it does.

Thank you and take care!