How to maximize your cyber security
The Waterloo-based cyber security company eSentire says people need to be more careful when picking the perfect password. Though the list of password requirements continues to grow, the company says a longer password is often still not enough to keep you safe.
“If someone wants to get that information, there are ultimately ways to acquire that information,” said Ryan Westman, senior manager for threat intelligence at eSentire Inc.
Westman said face or thumb recognition won’t stop hackers. He suggested people and businesses use tools like password managers, paired with multi-factor authentication.
“A password manager basically acts as a vault. So you'll have one password to access the vault and inside that password manager you can have generated passwords you can use for your various online services,” said Westman. “If one of those parties do get breached, there is another way to verify you as an authentication measure.”
Westman said it is important to take the proper steps and add extra layers of protection to increase your personal cyber hygiene.
According to security company Cisco Canada, many people recycle passwords or use the same one for many different services.
“The attackers know this and they are searching for easy-to-guess passwords on a continuous basis,” Dave Lewis, a global advisory chief information officer at Cisco Canada, told CTV News earlier this year.
According to the mobile security firm Lookout, these five passwords are the most often hacked:
- 123456
- 123456789
- qwerty
- password
- 12345
With files from CTV Toronto.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Stormy Daniels describes meeting Trump during occasionally graphic testimony in hush money trial
Stormy Daniels took the witness stand Tuesday at Donald Trump's hush money trial, describing for jurors a sexual encounter the porn actor says she had with him in 2006 that resulted in her being paid off to keep silent during the presidential race 10 years later.
Former homicide detective explains how police will investigate shooting outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion
Footage from dozens of security cameras in the area of Drake’s Bridle Path mansion could be the key to identifying the suspect responsible for shooting and seriously injuring a security guard outside the rapper’s sprawling home early Tuesday morning, a former Toronto homicide detective says.
Jeremy Skibicki has 'uphill battle' to prove he's not criminally responsible in Winnipeg killings: legal analysts
Accused killer Jeremy Skibicki could have a challenging time convincing a judge that he is not criminally responsible for the deaths of four Indigenous women, a legal analyst says.
Bye-bye bag fee: Calgary repeals single-use bylaw
A Calgary bylaw requiring businesses to charge a minimum bag fee and only provide single-use items when requested has officially been tossed.
Air France flight from Paris to Seattle lands in Iqaluit after heat smell in cabin
A plane travelling from Paris to Seattle was forced to make an emergency landing in Iqaluit after there was a heat smell in the cabin during the flight.
CFL suspends Argos QB Chad Kelly at least nine games following investigation
The CFL suspended Toronto Argonauts quarterback Chad Kelly for at least nine regular-season games Tuesday following its investigation into a lawsuit filed by a former strength-and-conditioning coach against both the player and club.
Boy Scouts of America changing name for first time in 114 years, aiming for inclusivity
The Boy Scouts of America is changing its name for the first time in its 114-year history and will become Scouting America. It's a significant shift as the organization emerges from bankruptcy following a flood of sexual abuse claims and seeks to focus on inclusion.
Alcohol believed to be a factor in boating incident after 2 men die: N.S. RCMP
Two Nova Scotia men are dead after a boat they were travelling in sank in the Annapolis River in Granville Centre, N.S., on Monday.
Security guard shot, critically injured outside of Drake's Toronto mansion
A security guard working at Drake’s Bridle Path mansion in Toronto was seriously injured in a shooting outside the residence early Tuesday morning, police said.