Published on: January 11, 2025
From free VPNs to popular messaging platforms, some of the most popular tools and habits you trust might actually be putting your data at risk. In this interview series by Safety Detectives, I invite cybersecurity experts to reveal the most dangerous mistakes millions of people still make, and their top tips to avoid them.
My guests today are from Uprite, a Managed IT Services Provider (MSP) that specializes in IT solutions for small to medium-sized businesses with over 20 years of experience and over 2000 users served with over 98% client satisfaction.
Are there any cybersecurity habits or apps that most people consider safe but should avoid at all costs, and why?
Reusing Passwords is Risky. Here’s why:
Imagine you have one key that unlocks your house, your car, and your office. Now imagine someone steals that key… They don’t just have access to your house but also to your car and your office!
This is exactly what happens when you reuse the same (poor) passwords across multiple accounts. Hackers most often steal usernames and passwords, then resell or just share them online for other hackers to use.
If you’ve reused a stolen password on other accounts (email, bank, socials, etc.), hackers can:
- Log into your other accounts (this is called credential stuffing).
- Steal your money, identity, or personal information.
- Spread spam or phishing emails from your accounts to your friends and family.
Weak passwords are guessable: Many people use common passwords like password123, qwerty, or even their own birthday. Hackers use automated tools to guess these quickly. Once a reused password is leaked, your entire internet presence, data and finances are compromised.
How to fix this bad habit in three steps:
- Use a Password Manager: Apps like LastPass, Dashlane, or Bitwarden create and store long, unique passwords for every account. You only need to remember one master password.
- Enable Two-Factor Authentication (2FA): Even if your password is stolen, 2FA (a code sent to your phone or generated by an app) adds an extra layer of security.
- Never reuse passwords: Treat each account as if it’s a different lock—unique keys for each one!
Can you share an example of how these mistakes caused significant damage, and what could have prevented it?
Having one password for multiple accounts makes your password as strong as the security of the weakest service you have your password applied to. If one service is compromised and your password is leaked, hackers can use that password on other commonly used services with your email address. Potentially getting into all of your online services.
Having a different password or each service will protect each service from compromise. Using a password manager and keeping your passwords long, complex, and unique is the answer.
Pro Tip: Using sites that scan web pages for you like urlscan.io can help you determine the safety of a website before clicking on a link. While it is common today to have an email filtering tool that will scan all URLs in emails, not everyone has access to security features like that.
If someone wants to strengthen their online security and privacy, what are five steps they should take today?
- Unique password for every service
- Multi-Factor (MFA) as often as possible
- Stay as anonymous as possible when using social media (handle instead of name, don’t be specific about your personal life, be careful who you friend because they could easily point back to you)
- Use virtual credit card services or only shop on reputable sites
- Do not browse strange websites, or connect to wireless networks that you are not familiar with
Looking ahead, what opportunities and challenges should people prepare to face in 2025? What should they start doing today to get ready?
AI seems to be the biggest topic right now for me. A lot of services are maturing in this industry and will begin to heavily change how we think about technology, threats, and cybersecurity.
Connect with Uprite
https://www.linkedin.com/company/upriteservices/