Cybersecurity is a pain in the password

LOS ANGELES, Calif. (CBS NEWS) – Cyber-attacks are becoming more common. Strong passwords can protect you, but many of us don’t follow that advice, according to experts.

Passwords have become a way of life in the digital era, and they can be a real pain.

“Admittedly, passwords are really hard, and people need a lot more of them than they would think,” said Bree Fowler, senior writer for cybersecurity at CNET.

Because of that many people reuse them. In a survey, 24% of people admit to using the same passwords across multiple accounts.

“All of your passwords need to be long, unique, and random. We’re talking 12 to 16 characters,” said Fowler.

Fowler admits it’s hard to keep track of unique passwords. The survey showed that 35% of people remember passwords by writing them down on a piece of paper. But there may be a better way, a password manager.

CNET recommends several password managers. The top overall pick is called Bitwarden.

“They have a really great free tier…You only have to remember one password, and that’ll unlock all of your passwords and auto-fill them,” said Fowler.

Even with that step, you should also use two-factor authentication whenever possible, according to Fowler. Sites will often text you a secondary code to make sure you’re not a hacker.