You Are the Weakest Link

"Unfortunately, the human is often the weakest link in security."

That quote came from Google Chrome’s security head Parisa Tabriz. And it’s undeniably true.

Tabriz spilled this unfortunate truth at Google’s I/O conference last Thursday while discussing passwords and alternate protection measures.

Our current state of online security and privacy is nothing to boast of. But it’s not hopeless if you’re willing to put in the groundwork yourself and maintain a certain degree of vigilance when surfing the web.

Obviously, one of the best measures you can take is to download and use a good VPN. Remember, a VPN encrypts all data coming in and going out of your computer. If you ever work or surf at cafés or other hot spots, all your data is available and easily accessed by anyone else using that same Wi-Fi connection. No joke. It’s just out there for the taking. But one click on your VPN client will wrap that data in a protective tunnel and scramble it in 128-bits of encryption. Even supercomputers have trouble cracking that kind of security.

Google also has a few more recommendations. According to Eran Feigenbaum, director of security for Google Apps, "You should turn on two-step verification, make sure [the browser] is up to date, and make sure your password recovery options are set."

We’d also recommend making sure your passwords are strong and varied. Never use the same password twice. If your Twitter account gets hacked, you don’t want the perpetrators gaining access to your email, Facebook, or bank accounts as well. Furthermore, make sure your passwords include letters, numbers, and symbols. 

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