Security "Resolutions" for the New Year (and Decade)

My New Years resolutions have to do with computer security this year...

1. I will change ALL my passwords at least once per year. In January, for example. Specifically, I will be sure to change my personal and business passwords for all computers and websites that I use: PC's, Websites, banking, investments, Facebook, LinkedIn, etc.
 

2. I won't use the same password on all sites. The tech news this year detailed numerous cases where hackers compromised millions of passwords. If you use similar logins and passwords on many sites, you may be vulnerable to these types of hackers. The hackers will try the same passwords on other sites. Even if you you use two or three passwords (one for the most important banking sites, for examples), but this isn't really good enough.
 

3. I won't use easy to guess passwords: This happened to Sarah Palin. The really bad passwords are: person names, words in the dictionary, date of birth, date of wedding, patterns of digits (1234), etc. Hackers can get all your personal information easily, and they use databases of common words and passwords to attack websites. To make the passwords really hard to guess, I will use long passwords with upper and lower case plus some digits in every password.
 

4. I won't store my list of passwords on my computer. Frankly having a list of passwords in a text file or excel spreadsheet on your computer is not so wise. Hackers and viruses hunt down these password files. Plus you're one disk crash away from losing all your passwords. And if you backup (good for you!), then that's just one more copy of you passwords that can be stolen. There are several solutions to this problem: memorizing passwords (really hard), generating passwords based on site name, or even writing them down (your home or office is much less likely to be burglarized than your PC is to be hacked).
 

5. I will make a copy of my password list and store it in a very safe place. Llike a safe deposit box. In case something bad happens to me. So my family can continue or close down my accounts and my business. I'll tell my family that it exists.
 

6. I will check that I can restore all my PC's from backups. Backing up is not enough for the security of my digital life and business. I need to make sure that I can actually restore a working PC from the backup. What would be worse than finding out that my backup was no good. Believe it or not: Corrupt backups are extremely common..
 

7. I will store my backups in a safe off-site location. Like that safety deposit box I mentioned before. Fire, flood, or thieves will not stop my business.
 

Wish me luck! Should be easier than losing weight... :)

Happy New Year!