Don't Get Hacked: Practice Better Password Management, Please

[eriqjaffe]

Originally Posted by kq76

I'd love to get eriq's take on this too, and anyone else who's more knowledgeable than myself on this.

SIM swapping AFAIK only allows for the bad actors to intercept your text messages. It's been long known that MFA via text messaging is the least secure form of MFA out there for just this reason.

Dedicated MFA apps like Google Authenticator, Microsoft Authenticator, and the like are inherently better because they rely on the user having the physical device itself for a TOTP (Time-based One Time Password) rather than just sending out a text message.

[ashokkumar]

It really hits home. Not being able to manage an account can be really frustrating. Even small practices like using Google Authenticator or Bitwarden can make a huge difference. A small hassle now will save a big headache later.

[Boom Boom]

Originally Posted by kq76

or them to maybe respond and let the spammer spam more.

Anyway, if you don't want your account to be at risk of being hacked, please make sure you are practicing good password management. There are

I use proton pass, best ever.

[uti-pontus-hage]

Originally Posted by Boom Boom

I use proton pass, best ever.

Same here, I can highly recommend Proton Pass and everything Proton offers. I've been a customer of theirs since 2018.
The other night, however, I made a potentially fatal mistake. Late one evening before bed, I got it into my head that the last thing I should do before sleeping was change my account password. I changed it, updated it in Proton Pass as well, and then fell asleep. The next morning, I was logged out of all apps linked to Proton (including Proton Pass). So my new password, which was needed to log in to access all my passwords, was locked away. Biometrics (fingerprint login) had been reset so that didn't work either - which I had counted on using for the login.
In the end, I managed to sort it out via a recovery address, but it could have ended with me having to start over from scratch. I was saved by the fact that I was still logged in via their webmail, where I changed the password.

Being a parent of young children might be a mitigating circumstance, but it was careless.
Proton really works as it should and I'm grateful for that, even if it could have cost me.

So recovery addresses and recovery phrases is my message, in case 'disaster' strikes.
Also writing down the password on a paper if needed is something I will do from now on.