Last week, several Internet news outlets reported and LinkedIn eventually confirmed that millions of LinkedIn passwords were compromised. While passwords are not worth much without the corresponding user ID and the online account, below are suggestions you can follow to reduce risk.
1. Don’t identify the account or yourself in your password. As the LinkedIn story broke, it became clear that the passwords were from LinkedIn because so many of the passwords actually contained the phrase “LinkedIn.” The risk becomes compounded when you add your name to the password (e.g., jdoelinkedin123).
2. Don’t use the same password for multiple accounts. If you use the same user ID and password for your insurance carrier portal logon, as you do for your MyEnroll log on, as you do for your social networking site, all of those accounts become compromised when just one is compromised. And if you use the same logon for your webmail, other accounts linked to that email address are at risk. Create unique logons for each account.
3. Beware of Phishing! When an email purports to be from a legitimate company to induce the recipient to disclose personal information, it is called phishing. News of the LinkedIn debacle spread rapidly. Scammers would likely jump on the opportunity to look like a legitimate request to update your account. Be wary of any email that asks you for your log on credentials.
Following these suggestions can minimize your risk for malicious, unauthorized access to your accounts. If you would like to change your MyEnroll password, you may do so at any time by logging on to www.myenroll.com and selecting “Manage Your Access” from the left menu.
