Secure passwords reduce risk of online fraud: Expert

KASTAMONU, Türkiye

Online fraud can be prevented by secure passwords, which is the core element of cyber hygiene, according to a Turkish expert.

Cyber hygiene, or cybersecurity hygiene, is a set of practices that organizations and individuals perform regularly to maintain the security of users, devices, networks, and data.

“The security of passwords is very important in preventing the stealing of data. The most important element of cyber hygiene is password security,” Selman Tunay Kamer, an academic at Türkiye's Kastamonu University, told Anadolu.

Kamer recommended using 12-digit passwords that include both upper and lower case letters, as well as changing them periodically.

Highlighting the significance of protecting personal data, use of credit cards via social media, and the threat of phishing accounts, he said: “We need to be careful while leaving a digital footprint, reading, or clicking messages from social media.”

“If we pay attention to cyber hygiene when using digital devices, we will reduce problems of fraud and network security to almost zero,” he said, and warned users against free VPN (virtual private network) applications.

When people are throwing away or selling their old devices, they have to use cleaning programs benefiting from different algorithms to prevent personal data from being exposed again, he added.

* Writing by Gozde Bayar in Ankara