Bad passwords are one of the easiest mistakes for online criminals to exploit.

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If you’ve chosen a simple password, hacking software can crack it in seconds.

And even complicated passwords can be a problem if you re-use them.

That’s because if your password is hacked or leaked for one account, hackers can then try it against other apps to break in.

Now cybersecurity experts at Kaspersky have revealed a “phase trick” to help you out.

“Think of a favorite phrase, quote, or song lyric,” Kaspersky explained.

“Take one letter (not necessarily the first one!) or a combination of letters from each word in the phrase and insert special characters between them.

“Replace letters that resemble numbers or special characters with their respective symbols.”

Kaspersky uses the example of the iconic Star Wars movie quote: “May the Force be with you.”

This could turn into something like “M@y!T!4!B!W!U” – but you must never use this, because it has now been posted online.

MANAGE IT!

Importantly, it’s still not ideal to have to remember so many passwords across accounts.

So the best idea is to simply have one strong password like this that you’ll remember for your main account to a password manager.

Otherwise, you risk leaving your passwords exposed if someone breaks into your manager.

Phone scam statistics

Americans are bombarded with three billion spam phone calls a month. What are the figures regarding the number of victims and the amount of money lost to fraudsters

• In 2022, Americans lost some $39.5 billion to phone scams, with 68.4 million US citizens affected, according to TechReport.
• The average phone scam victim lost $567.41 each in 2021, a major rise on the 2021 figure of $182 per victim, according to Hiya.
• The majority of scams happen over the phone, with fraudsters twice as likely to call compared to text in 2021, as reports the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).
• In 2021, the US saw a 56% increase in spam phone calls with 60% of those being robocalls.
• US residents experienced an average of 18 spam phone calls per month, although some experts believe the true figure may be as high as 31 per month.
• Many phone calls from reputable businesses may be marked wrongly as spam, but 38% of companies have no idea whether they’re being marked as “potential fraud” or not, according to Hiya.
• Never hand over any personal or financial information if you suspect a phone call is a scam. For instance, your bank will never ask you for such details in full over the phone. 
• To cut down on spam phone calls and scams, sign up for the Do Not Call Registry. Telemarketers, by law, will need to check that list before they call you up.
• Downloading third-party apps such as Hiya, Nomorobo, or Truecaller can help filter out annoying spam calls.
• Try not to share your phone number unless you have to, especially online or with sketchy sources.

“Using ‘qwerty12345’ as your main password is like putting all your valuables in a safe and then leaving the key in the lock,” Kaspersky warned.

For instance, if you’re using Apple’s iCloud Keychain then you could have one complicated password that you remember for your Apple ID – and use the built-in iPhone manager to store all of your other log-ins.

SWITCHED ON

To turn this feature on, just go to Settings > [Name] > iCloud > Passwords and Keychain.

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Then simply toggle on the setting called Turn On iCloud Keychain.

Apple explains: “iCloud Keychain remembers things, so that you don’t have to.

“It autofills your information — like your Safari and app usernames, passwords and passkeys, credit card information and security codes, and Wi-Fi passwords on any device that you approve.

“iCloud Keychain can also help you share passwords and passkeys with people that you trust.”

Using ‘qwerty12345’ as your main password is like putting all your valuables in a safe and then leaving the key in the lock.

Kaspersky

Google has also created a similar feature for anyone using Android devices.

It’s called the Google Password Manager and is built directly into Chrome and other Android apps.

To use it, go to Settings > Google > Manage Your Google Account > Security.

Then tap on Signing In To Other Sites > Password Manager > Settings and choose Offer To Save Passwords.