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Many of us have seen or personally experienced identity theft and financial fraud, so, why don\u2019t we think about email fraud? Typically, we realize that something is wrong with our email accounts only after they have been compromised by a third party. <\/p>\n
Today, we want to let you know that compromised email often happens because of password security issues. Our passwords are some of the most important things to keep secure in today\u2019s digital world. <\/p>\n
There are typically two primary reasons accounts are compromised, creating theft and fraud. Here at XMission we do everything we can to fight and prevent this from happening but we just can\u2019t block it all.<\/p>\n
The first and most common reason for a compromised account is because of someone clicking on a link or replying to a \u201cphishing email.\u201d Wikipedia describes phishing as \u201can attempt to obtain sensitive information such as usernames, passwords, and credit card details (and, indirectly, money), often for malicious reasons, by disguising as a trustworthy entity in an electronic communication.\u201d These communications typically pretend to come from a trusted company and tell you that there is some kind of account change required. The email will usually ask you to provide private information such as your username, password, or credit card details.<\/p>\n
The second common situation is that you fall victim to a brute-force attack or a personal attack. It\u2019s common for a malicious individual or group to want to access or attack your account. This could be for personal reasons, or just because your email happens to be on an automated list. Unfortunately, it’s extremely hard to figure out why it’s happening or who is doing it.<\/p>\n
It is not only important to have secure passwords for the services and websites you frequently visit on the Internet, it is equally important to change them with regularity. Changing your passwords every six or 12 months and keeping your password complex are the best ways to fight fraud.<\/p>\n
Currently, XMission requires 50 bits of entropy (and recommends 125 bits of entropy), which is a measurement of password strength. In order to achieve this level, passwords should be no less than 12 characters long. It is recommended to have your password contain a combination of uppercase letters, lowercase letters, numbers, and special characters. Using passwords that meet these requirements lowers your overall risk of brute attacks and personal attacks.<\/p>\n
We invite you to check the difficulty of your current password by using this site<\/a>. From here you can see how long it would take a computer automated system to gain access to your account. If your current password doesn\u2019t feel strong enough to you and doesn\u2019t meet our requirements we ask that you update it now.<\/p>\n