Personal Security Checklist

Reusing passwords means one breach compromises everything. This is the single most important habit.

Length is the most powerful factor in password strength. 12+ characters is the minimum for real security.

Phrases, names, and keyboard patterns are predictable. Randomly generated passwords are exponentially stronger.

Hackers research targets on social media before attacking. Personal info in passwords makes them trivially guessable.

Email is the master key to your digital life — it's used to reset every other password. 2FA here is critical.

Financial accounts are the primary target. 2FA blocks over 99% of automated attacks.

Social media, work email, and cloud storage should all have 2FA enabled.

Outdated recovery emails are a common way attackers hijack accounts. Verify yours is up-to-date.

Password managers store unlimited unique passwords securely. Bitwarden (free) is an excellent starting point.

Losing access to your password manager without a backup can lock you out of everything. Back it up.

Browser-saved passwords are accessible to anyone with physical access to your computer and some malware.

Visit haveibeenpwned.com to see if your accounts have been compromised in known breaches.

If your credentials appear in a breach, that password is effectively public knowledge.

Common passwords like '123456' and 'password' are tested in every attack automatically.

Passkeys replace passwords entirely with cryptographic keys — phishing-resistant and more secure.

Public WiFi can expose your passwords to eavesdroppers. A VPN encrypts your connection.

Phishing is responsible for over 36% of data breaches. Recognizing fake emails is essential.

Many attacks exploit known vulnerabilities in outdated software. Updates patch these holes.