Contact 6: How strong are your online passwords?



MILWAUKEE -- Online shoe retailer Zappos.comgot hacked Sunday, and 24 million names, phone numbers and mailing addresses were potentially compromised! As a result, Zappos told its customers to change their passwords immediately. Now, FOX6's Contact 6 offers something for you to think about: how complicated is your online password?

The Zappos database that was hacked did not contain critical credit card and other payment data, but it did prompt Zappos to ask all customers to change their passwords immediately. The Zappos incident serves as a reminder for online shoppers: Consumer Reports recommends never using the same password for multiple sites.

You want to minimize the chance a hacker can gain access to your other online accounts. Some tips include using separate email addresses for separate sites, and that way, if one of your accounts gets hacked, it's unlikely any of your other accounts will also fall prey.

Also - use a strong password, and never use something that can be guessed easily. Always use both numbers and letters, upper and lower case, and use symbols if the site allows it.

For tips from Consumer Reports on how to create a strong password and remember it, click here.