How Often Should You Change Your Passwords? Best Practices for Online Security
While passwordless authentication and passkeys have grown in popularity in recent years, and smartphone-based fingerprint sensors and facial recognition are nearly ubiquitous, many of us still rely on passwords, especially on desktops.

Passwords remain a major target for cybercriminals. This guide will discuss what makes passwords strong and when to change them.
When Should You Change Your Passwords?
Until recently, internet users were recommended to alter their passwords several times a year, which could be tricky to manage with dozens of accounts and unique login details. The rise of password managers has made storing and recalling long, unique passwords simple. At the same time, two-factor authentication adds an extra layer of security that negates the need for regular changes.
However, there are still situations that necessitate new passwords. Hackers may steal your information if your password was caught in a third-party data breach, is weak and easy to guess, or is reused across multiple accounts. Changing them if you’ve logged in on a public computer or removed people from a shared account is also a good idea. Enhance your understanding by reading our in-depth post on Advanced Image Background Removal.
What Makes a Strong Password?
Using easily identified information like birthdays and nicknames is not sufficient to protect important accounts. Hackers can have a harder time cracking longer passwords of over 16 characters with a random, unique mix of letters, symbols, and numbers.
Each added character exponentially increases the number of possible password combinations, making it difficult for hackers to try every possibility. Brute-force attacks that utilize this method will take significantly longer with at least 16-character passwords. We have also covered Exploring the Intersection of Finance and Virtual Competition on our website.
Password Management Tools and Strategies
You can access all your login details online with just one strong master password in your password manager. This digital vault software stores all your details and informs you when you have weak or reused passwords.
With a password manager, you won’t have to remember long, complex character chains because they autofill login details. You can easily create new details with their random password generator with the reassurance that they’re secure.
Two-factor authentication protects your accounts by using a password or PIN and a phone, fingerprint, or secret question. Even if your password is compromised, the second factor reduces the chance of impersonators gaining access to your data. Find valuable tips and strategies in our article about Innovations in Hydration Technology.
Recognizing Security Risks and When to Act
Compromised passwords often reveal themselves through unexpected sign-in notifications. Companies noting unusual activity will text or email you the location, device, and IP address of logins they don’t recognize. Alternatively, you may find you have received an unwanted password reset request.
The first thing you should do is select the option to log off on all devices and change your password. Never use that compromised password again, and update any variations to entirely new combinations to avoid further breaches. You can visit Fintechzoom.com for more trending posts.