Help keep finances safe online

(NC) While digital navigation has become an essential skill, it also comes with its own set of dangers. From online banking and mobile apps, to online shopping and credit and debit cards, it’s important that you take precautions to keep your personal and financial information safe.

Whether you’re looking to beef up your own security or teach your kids cyber awareness, here are some simple strategies for creating strong passwords:

Get creative. While each login will have different password requirements that you must adhere to, it’s a best practice to include numbers, symbols, capital and lowercase letters. And think of out-of-the-box ways to incorporate these. Avoid the use of full words and anything that relates to your personal information, such as names and birthdates.

Differentiate. Using different credentials for every login is a great way to help keep your information – and yourself – secure. To help with remembering numerous passwords, track them as soon as you create a new account in a secure password keeper.

Go beyond the bare minimum. There is often a minimum requirement of eight characters for passwords. Try surpassing this with 12 or more characters to create another layer of complexity.

Share smart. All of these password creation tips are especially important when using mobile or online banking, which is a great way to manage finances. Remind older children to never give out any personal banking information to anyone, even if they claim to be a banking representative. It is a good idea to have record of your teen’s passwords and online banking information. Be a safety net in case there’s trouble.

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