Changing Passwords Again? Ain’t Nobody Got Time For That! Try F-Secure

by Melissa Stewart

Target, Michaels, Home Depot and Albertsons, these are just a few of the major retailers hit by data breaches this year exposing millions of innocent consumers to credit card and identity fraud. I saw this disturbing quote from a recent Boston Globe article:

For American consumers, some specialists say data breaches are the new normal. More than 500 data breaches — not just of financial information, but of passwords, e-mail addresses, and personal information — occurred in the United States in the first half of 2014 alone, roughly on par with 2013 and 2012, according to Risk Based Security, a Virginia consulting firm. Worldwide, there were 76 breaches that exposed credit card numbers over that same period.

“Pay attention. That’s all you can do,” said Samid. “It’s the price we pay for living in a connected world.” (Yaron Samid, chief executive of BillGuard)

According to Samid “data breaches are the new normal” – what?!

As consumers, how do we protect ourselves and what can we do to secure our own information?

Well, a Google search will bring you tips like:

• Set strong passwords
• Use different passwords for different accounts
• Memorize your password if you can
• Never share your password with anyone
• Never send your password via email

But, will these tips alone really protect you and are they truly reasonable considering the amount of password protected accounts most of us have? There has to be a better way and I think I’ve found it with F-Secure. When they reached out to me and asked that I test the product and share with my readers, I jumped at the chance! I’ve been looking for a solution and the timing was perfect.

I’ll be testing F-Secure in the weeks to come and I’d like for you to join me.

As a Brand Ambassador representing F-Secure’s Key password manager solution, I’ve been provided with a special offer for She Owns It readers – get two PREMIUM months to check out for FREE!

Code: PREMIUMKEYOFFER14

Instructions:
Go to F-Secure Key download it FIRST from your IOS or Android device.
If using Android: Go to Menu-Help- Enter PREMIUM VOUCHER
If using iOS: Help Menu- Promotional Code
*Once you redeem offer on your mobile device PREMIUM will work on your PC/Mac as well

I’ve already downloaded and installed on my Droid Ultra and laptop. Easy peasy! I’m loving it so far and since I’m mobile A LOT, I’m feeling much better about my connections! To help you navigate the password maze they’ve put together a handy infographic.

Keeping track of so many passwords can sometimes feel overwhelming, especially for accounts that you use only occasionally, or those that force you to change passwords regularly.

It doesn’t have to be so troublesome though. Here’s a quick guide on how to make handling your passwords simpler. You can also download this guide as an infographic (PDF).

Check back next week for your chance to WIN a

16GB iPad Mini PLUS a 12 month subscription to F-Secure Key!

We’d love to hear your stories, thoughts, and opinions!

Tell us what has been your experience with cyber security breeches and how many times have you had to change your passwords?

A reminder, She Owns It and Melissa Stewart are occasionally hired as a brand ambassador to report and write content where and receive compensation. Occasionally I write posts that are sponsored and I am compensated in payment and/or product for my hard work and research. Good or bad, our reviews are honest with our readers best interest in mind.

Melissa Stewart

Melissa Stewart is the founder of SheOwnsIt.com. She is a Purveyor of Possibility, Entrepreneur Advocate and Coffee Addict. She believes that behind every successful woman is her story. What’s your story?