Beef Up Your Password Security on Three Key Accounts

Let’s face it, you’re online right now, refreshing apps and looking for news. If you’re scrolling anyway, maybe try fixing something in your life—in 15 minutes or less. (A previous suggestion: Connect with one old colleague or boss.) Here’s our latest:

There are two things you need to do to beef up your online security: Create a long, unique password and turn on two-factor authentication for each account.

A Verizon analysis logged over 10,000 breaches in 2024, a record high. And a survey by security company Yubico found that over 70% of respondents had been exposed to cyberattacks within the past year.

Yes, fortifying your entire digital life can be exhausting. The average person juggles hundreds of passwords. A password manager is the best way to manage them, but it can take days to configure. Forget that for now, and just focus on three key accounts: your bank, email and phone.

Bank

If the password to your bank account isn’t unique and strong—the longer, the better—change it now. Reused passwords are a hacker’s best friend.

When possible, use biometrics (face or fingerprint) to access your banking apps. Apple now lets you add a layer of Face ID or Touch ID protection to any iPhone app.

Verify your contact information is up-to-date, then turn on two-factor authentication in your bank’s security settings. Some banking apps only ask you for a second factor when they can’t be sure you’re you.

Don’t forget your retirement and health savings apps, or payment apps such as Venmo and PayPal. Own cryptocurrency? That’s harder to reclaim if stolen. Robinhood lets you set a custom PIN to secure your wallet.

Bonus suggestion: Freeze your credit so identity thieves can’t open credit cards or loans in your name.

Email

If hackers access your email, they can also access your other accounts, since it’s often used to reset passwords.

Google’s Gmail is the most popular email service. By protecting your Gmail account, you also protect your other Google apps. The company’s Security Checkup is a good overview of the most important settings. And, again, definitely turn on two-factor authentication.

Outlook and Yahoo offer their own tips for protecting your email, including adding a recovery email or mobile number.

The biggest email threat is phishing—and generative AI has made these baited email attacks more sophisticated. Stop before clicking links or downloading attachments. If an email looks like it’s from your bank or other service, go to its website instead of clicking.

Bonus suggestion: If you feel tech-savvy enough, lock your email down with a security key like Yubico’s YubiKey 5C.

Phone

First, protect your phone number by adding a PIN to your AT&T, Verizon or T-Mobile account. This can prevent someone from taking over your number to steal your two-factor authentication codes.

Next, lock down the cloud account tied to your phone, the one that holds years of photos, contacts, messages and more. For iPhone users, this is your Apple ID. (On Android? Secure your Google account, as noted above in the Gmail section.)

For your Apple ID, turn on two-factor authentication in Settings. Review your trusted devices and make sure the trusted phone number matches your current number.

Your iPhone’s passcode can change your Apple ID password—something iPhone thieves have used to devastating effect, as we reported last year. Protect your PIN and add a more complex passcode in Face ID & Passcode settings.

Bonus suggestion: Turn on Stolen Device Protection to limit your passcode’s power.

Write to Nicole Nguyen at [email protected]