Can your email be read like Sarah Palin’s?

Not likely. In the Sarah Palin case, her Yahoo email account was not hacked…her password was hacked. That means the hackers guessed Sarah Palin’s password (maybe it was hockeymom). Seriously, it could have been that easy. More likely, however, the hackers used sophisticated programs that were used to crack the password.

The number one defense you possess to safeguard your email, bank account, or any other online account is a strong password.

• A strong password contains a mix of upper and lower case letters, numerals, and special characters like (# @ ! * & _ – + ).
• Never use the same password for all your accounts.
• Never use words that can be found in a dictionary (these are the easiest to hack)
• Change your important account passwords often.

I know, I know…”It’s too hard to remember.”. Write it down! No one said you have to memorize it. Write it down, but keep it in safe place and don’t forget where you put it. OR, you can use any number of password manager programs. Read my Password Mania tip for more info.

If you aren’t running for Vice President of the free world, you automatically reduce your chances of being hacked by almost 1 billion times. But, don’t get lazy and leave your account information open to the chance of being hacked.

Related articles:

1. 5 Steps to Using Online Financial Sites Safely
2. Set a startup password for Microsoft Outlook
3. Do you remember your password for…?
4. Why you shouldn’t use the same username and password for everything
5. Starting online accounts

3 Responses to “Can your email be read like Sarah Palin’s?”

1. Anonymous says:

   September 18, 2008 at 5:54 pm

   I’m going to have to change my password! I thought 1234 would be safe enough!

   Good reminder Rick.

   Reply
2. Anonymous says:

   September 18, 2008 at 11:37 pm

   Actually, they exploited the password reset system of Yahoo. They knew her birth date and Zip Code (Wasilla only has 4) and then they guessed at the “secret question” and were able to reset her password.

   Makes you want to think what you use for the questions to reset passwords.

   Reply
3. Anonymous says:

   September 19, 2008 at 6:50 pm

   Always lie in the details of your account.

   Reply