"People don't get it until they become a victim:" Why creating secure passwords is so important



MILWAUKEE (WITI) -- We all have usernames and passwords for dozens of online accounts. They can make your personal information vulnerable to hackers in just a few keystrokes. That's why it's so important to create a secure password and keep your important information protected.

Most of us have multiple online accounts, and a new study finds that more than half of adults use the same password for all of their online accounts.

"If you have the same password on everything, it may be easy for you to remember, but it's also easy for hackers to guess," Julie Kosobucki, the social media coordinator for the Wisconsin Better Business Bureau said.

Kosobucki says whether it's an individual or a business, a secure password is vital to keeping your personal information safe.

"Unfortunately, I think that people don't get it until they become a victim," Kosobucki said.

Safe and secure passwords don't have to be confusing.

Some tips: don't use real words -- whether forwards or backwards, because they are difficult to crack, use long passwords -- including numbers and symbols, especially for important accounts, like banking accounts -- and don't settle for default passwords.

"It's scary sometimes how easy it is to access that with a simple username and password," Kosobucki said.