Are you stuck in password limbo? Time to secure your online accounts on World Password Day

Next up on the 2022 cybersecurity awareness agenda is World Password Day - an international event that encourages digital citizens to address the unbroken chain of weak passwords that put their online privacy and security at risk.

Why strong passwords matter

In a data-driven world, passwords are the first line of defense protecting your personal and financial information against unauthorized access. Adopting good password hygiene, by using unique and strong passwords for all of your accounts will provide critical protection against fraudsters and cybercriminals who want to access your sensitive information.

Internet users have a lot on their plate and, according to a recent Bitdefender study of online consumer behavior, password management isn’t at the top of their list – with half of users utilizing or recycling the same passwords for all of their online accounts and 28% admitting to physically writing them down.

If you’re still using your favorite band or pet’s name as a password for digital platforms and services, it may be time to layer up on security and adopt proper password management to secure your digital life.

Celebrating World Password Day

Using passwords according to the best cybersecurity practices can be difficult, especially if you’re juggling a dozen or more online accounts – and NO, writing down passwords on sticky notes doesn’t count!

Here’s where you can start:

• Make sure your passwords include a combo of letters (upper and lower case), numbers and symbols
• Update any old passwords that are not incorporating the latest recommendations
• Use at least 16 characters when choosing a password
• Always change your passwords if you notice any suspicious activity on your accounts, or if your information and credentials were part of a data breach or leak

If you are struggling to remember all of the online accounts created over the years, and you’re not sure whether your information was part of a data breach, check out Bitdefender’s Digital Identity Protection. You can find old accounts linked to up to 5 email addresses, manage your digital footprint and stay on top of data breaches with 24/7 alerts.

• Enable two-factor or multi-factor authentication to add an extra layer of security
• Try creating unique passwords you can easily remember. If this is not an option consider adding a password manager to help you manage all of your login credentials

Take a moment to celebrate World Password Day this year by brushing up on the best password security practices. And spread the word to your friends and family – it could save you hours of painstaking work and money to retrieve your accounts and clean up your digital identity in case of a breach.

With Bitdefender Password Manager you can say goodbye to any password management oversights. When you subscribe to our multi-platform tool, you get the strongest known cryptographic algorithms to help you secure and manage all of your online passwords, and the possibility to create complex passwords that meet the highest security standards on all major operating systems.

You can opt for our standalone Password Manager service or grab it in our 3-in-1 security and privacy pack alongside our best-in-class security solution and Premium VPN service for maximum online protection.