Clifford led How To coverage. He spent a handful of years at Peachpit Press, editing books on everything from the first iPhone to Python. He also worked at a handful of now-dead computer magazines, ...

One of the simplest ways for a hacker to gain control of your online accounts is by getting hold of your password. Sometimes, they do this through brute force attacks — automatically checking millions ...

Common passwords like "123456" and "password" are easily guessed by hackers. Strong passwords should be 12-16 characters long, mixing upper and lower case letters, numbers, and symbols. Unique ...

STRONG PASSWORDS. SO WE’VE TALKED ABOUT THIS BEFORE, BUT IT’S WORTH REPEATING. STRONG PASSWORDS ARE ABSOLUTELY THE KEY TO PERSONAL ONLINE SECURITY. I’VE TALKED TO MANY HACKING VICTIMS OVER THE YEARS, ...

Stop forcing symbols into your passwords. The advice that shaped online security for years no longer reflects how attackers operate, and clinging to those old rules creates more risk than protection.

Passwords are usually the first, and sometimes only, line of defense against online security breaches. Unfortunately, even a strong password can still leave you vulnerable to cybersecurity threats.