by Wayne K. Wilkins

Created on: November 06, 2008   Last Updated: September 06, 2009

Password theft is one of the most common and damaging occurrences on the Internet today. Imagine that the password you lose to a fraudster is the password to your Internet banking. They have access to all of your personal statements, to all of your money and to all of your private and confidential account information. This person could potentially steal your life and everything you own with ease. This unfortunate scenario is in fact a reality to hundreds upon thousands of unknowing Internet users on a daily basis, and unless you take proper precaution to avoid it, you could be next. Just how can someone begin to take steps to prevent falling victim to password fraud?

1) AVOID POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS WEBSITES

Websites that ask you to input your personal details because you have won a prize or are their millionth visitor are obvious scams. Things just do not fall in your lap from a simple click on a website. Chances are if you input your personal details into those scam advertisements you will actually lose a lot more than they originally said that you have won. This is the simplest step to securing your password. If you see something on the Internet that asks for your details for something that seems too good to be true, then it is just that, too good to be true. Simply ignore it and carry on with what you are doing.

2) MAKE SURE YOU ARE VISITING THE OFFICIAL SITE

A more modern scam that has emerged from the shadowy depths of the Internet the past few years is when you visit a website, that is not the actual website you hoped for. This is more common on social networking sites such as MySpace and Facebook, but it is also common on Internet banking sites. If you happen to visit one of these evil twins' of the website you are on, get off it immediately and above all, do not enter any details. The way to make sure you are on the correct page is to always check the address bar when you first access the webpage. For Internet banking sites in particular, and others such as PayPal which handle money and private information, you will almost always find the https' in the address bar which depicts a 100% secure site.

3) AVOID ADULT ORIENTED WEBSITES

Websites that are aimed specifically at adults, such as pornography and gambling, are more likely to feature unwanted password scam attempts and in some cases are loaded with spyware, malware and key loggers which have the potential to steal your password without you even realizing. Of course, the only way to avoid this is to avoid these websites all together. This is a good thing of course; perhaps it will give your morality a boost and make you feel less sleazy, while protecting your passwords and personal data at the same time. It is indeed a win-win situation.

4) USE A COMPLEX AND UN-OBVIOUS PASSWORD

t is a very good idea to use a complex password that ONLY you would know. Essentially, a good password contains a mixture of random letters, words, numbers or strange combinations that only you can conjure up and remember. This makes your password very secure and powerful. The strength of your password is a crucial aspect to consider if you actually value the safety of it. Always remember to jumble it up a bit so NOBODY other than you would know it.

The main thing to consider when it comes to password safety is general sensibility when using the Internet. Always be on the lookout for suspicious and potentially malicious activity, and above all else, NEVER be lenient with your important personal data that could result in you losing your password. Consider your password like the code to your safe with your life savings in; would you casually toss that around to anyone and everyone? No chance. Be careful and be safe, for the safety of your password.

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