Passwords that are slightly different are not safe, hackers can take advantage of this trick

 Passwords that are slightly different are not safe, hackers can take advantage of this trick

If you find that one of your online accounts has been accessed by unauthorized people, it could be due to a common mistake: reusing part of your password. Reusing the same word in a password, even if it includes numbers or symbols, opens the way for criminals to access your account.

Criminals use information from previous data breaches, which has been available on the Internet for some time. Hackers test these passwords on other websites, which is called 'credential stuffing'. In this way, they see if they can access the accounts.

But the problem does not stop there. Criminals do not only try hacked passwords, but also try different variations of them. Research by 'Virgin Media O2' has shown that four out of every five people use the same or almost the same passwords for their online accounts.

According to ethical 'white hat' hacker Brandin Murtagh, changing your password slightly, such as using 'TechPana1' instead of 'TechPana', is almost like an open door for hackers.

How do criminals work?

Criminals use automated scripts (sets of automated instructions for a computer) to try different variations of passwords. In order to gain access to other accounts.

Murtagh says, "The chances of you being targeted individually are very low. You are part of a group of thousands of people who are being targeted."

If you receive a notification that an attempt has been made to change the email address or other details associated with your account, this could be a sign.

What to do?

There are some steps you can take to protect yourself. For example, change passwords that contain different variations of the same word. Murtagh recommends starting with the four most important accounts: bank, email, work, and mobile.

You can also use password managers. Services integrated into browsers, such as Apple’s iCloud Keychain or Android’s Google Password Manager, can suggest and securely store complex passwords.

You can also use two-factor authentication (2FA) or multi-factor authentication (MFA). This means that logging into a site requires two steps, which adds an extra layer of security.