Change your passwords often, and make sure they cannot be easily guessed.  Use a combination of letters, numbers and special characters (* ? ! $ #) if possible.  Your password should be at least 6 characters long, preferably 8.

Do not use your birthday, dog’s name, street where you live, favorite restaurant, your kid’s name, nearby landmark, etc.  These are too easy to guess.

Use something that has some meaning for you so you will remember it, but construct the password carefully.  Change it regularly.  And of course, don’t reveal it to anyone.   

Most importantly, use a different password for each of the sites you visit.  I have long advised to avoid public computers, but if you must use one, change your passwords immediately upon returning home.  If you used your own laptop at a public hotspot, do all your updated security scans upon returning home.

 Syd Tash is a noted computer security consultant and author of How to Protect Your Computer Online.  He has been keeping Internet surfers safe and secure since the last century.  Find out how he does it; protect your own computer with five layers of protection right here: => http://MyPCSecuritySite.com

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