With online accounts containing a plethora of personal, financial, confidential and other sensitive details, it becomes imperative to protect them from hackers and keep them secure. Many of you would agree to it, but are you doing anything to beef up your online security?

Now before you start to scratch your head wondering what all can be done to keep your online accounts safe, we suggest you to hang on. Because we have some help to offer.

We bring you 5 simple tips that can help you protect your online accounts against hacks, password thefts and other cyber attacks.

1. Don&rsquo;t use the same password for multiple accounts: A lot of people go on to keep the same password for their multiple accounts so that they don&rsquo;t forget them - or for that matter, just to save themselves from getting confused among multiple passwords. But we highly recommend you to not use the same password for your Facebook, Twitter, Gmail, Instagram and other online accounts. Because once that password gets compromised, it will expose all your online accounts to hacking and other cyber crimes. And you can think of all the damage that it can then cause to your digital life.

2. Create strong passwords: Accounts with weak passwords (like the ones with your name or birth date) are more prone to hacking. And therefore, it is advisable to have strong passwords for your online accounts. If you are wondering how to create strong passwords, here is a two-step guide. Firstly, always have a long password. And secondly, use a combination of letters, upper case, lower case, numbers and symbols like hash or the exclamation mark.

For instance, instead of simply choosing &ldquo;mysecurity12&rdquo;, keep something like this - MyS3cur!ty12.

If you compare the two, both passwords have the same number of letters, but you can see the difference in how the two have been framed. Indisputably, the one with the combination of letters, numbers and other characters is stronger than the other. And this reduces chances of your online accounts from getting hacked.

3. Opt for two-step verification: We don&rsquo;t intend to scare you, but let us warn you that it&rsquo;s easier than you think for someone to hack your password. But if you have enabled the two-step verification for your online accounts, you are in a much safer territory. Remember, that annoying page that sometimes pops up when you log in to your Gmail account and you just press skip and move on? Well, that&rsquo;s Google&rsquo;s way of reminding you to doubly secure your account. So remember this the next time you think of pressing that skip button.
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But how does this help? So if a bad guy has stolen your password, he would still need to cross that second layer of security to hack into your account. And for that he would need your phone.

So it goes like this. The two-step verification process not only requires your password, but it also asks the user to enter a unique code sent to the registered phone if he logs into your account from a new machine. So the hacker may have your password, but it is unlikely for him to have ready access to your phone.

4. Change your passwords regularly: It&rsquo;s a good practice to change your passwords at frequent intervals. Because you never know when your account details start to circulate among hackers. But by changing your passwords regularly, you can save yourself from prospective damages.

If you&#39;re too lazy to regularly change passwords for all of your accounts, at least do that for your major accounts that contain sensitive information&nbsp; like your personal emails, or for that matter, your social networks.

And to help you manage and remember new passwords every now and then, a wide range of password managers are available online. They not only save you from remembering so many passwords, but also do the job for you every time you log in to an account. 
 
5. Avoid linking accounts: Many of us often find it convenient to log in to a service using our existing Facebook or Google account, but we suggest you to drop this habit. Because by doing so, you link your different accounts. So it means if a hacker breaks into one of your accounts, he can easily access your other linked accounts. So avoid linking your accounts whenever and wherever possible. In fact, it&rsquo;s a good practice to always sign up for a new service. &nbsp;

&nbsp;

With online accounts containing a lot of personal, financial, and other sensitive details, it is imperative to protect them from hackers

With online accounts containing a plethora of personal, financial, confidential and other sensitive details, it becomes imperative to protect them from hackers and keep them secure. Many of you would agree to it, but are you doing anything to beef up your online security? Now before you start to scratch your head wondering what all can be done to keep your online accounts safe, we suggest you to hang on. Because we have some help to offer. We bring you 5 simple tips that can help you protect your online accounts against hacks, password thefts and other cyber attacks. 1. Don’t use the same password for multiple accounts: A lot of people go on to keep the same password for their multiple accounts so that they don’t forget them - or for that matter, just to save themselves from getting confused among multiple passwords. But we highly recommend you to not use the same password for your Facebook, Twitter, Gmail, Instagram and other online accounts. Because once that password gets compromised, it will expose all your online accounts to hacking and other cyber crimes. And you can think of all the damage that it can then cause to your digital life. 2. Create strong passwords: Accounts with weak passwords (like the ones with your name or birth date) are more prone to hacking. And therefore, it is advisable to have strong passwords for your online accounts. If you are wondering how to create strong passwords, here is a two-step guide. Firstly, always have a long password. And secondly, use a combination of letters, upper case, lower case, numbers and symbols like hash or the exclamation mark. For instance, instead of simply choosing “mysecurity12”, keep something like this - MyS3cur!ty12. If you compare the two, both passwords have the same number of letters, but you can see the difference in how the two have been framed. Indisputably, the one with the combination of letters, numbers and other characters is stronger than the other. And this reduces chances of your online accounts from getting hacked. 3. Opt for two-step verification: We don’t intend to scare you, but let us warn you that it’s easier than you think for someone to hack your password. But if you have enabled the two-step verification for your online accounts, you are in a much safer territory. Remember, that annoying page that sometimes pops up when you log in to your Gmail account and you just press skip and move on? Well, that’s Google’s way of reminding you to doubly secure your account. So remember this the next time you think of pressing that skip button. But how does this help? So if a bad guy has stolen your password, he would still need to cross that second layer of security to hack into your account. And for that he would need your phone. So it goes like this. The two-step verification process not only requires your password, but it also asks the user to enter a unique code sent to the registered phone if he logs into your account from a new machine. So the hacker may have your password, but it is unlikely for him to have ready access to your phone. 4. Change your passwords regularly: It’s a good practice to change your passwords at frequent intervals. Because you never know when your account details start to circulate among hackers. But by changing your passwords regularly, you can save yourself from prospective damages. If you're too lazy to regularly change passwords for all of your accounts, at least do that for your major accounts that contain sensitive information like your personal emails, or for that matter, your social networks. And to help you manage and remember new passwords every now and then, a wide range of password managers are available online. They not only save you from remembering so many passwords, but also do the job for you every time you log in to an account. 5. Avoid linking accounts: Many of us often find it convenient to log in to a service using our existing Facebook or Google account, but we suggest you to drop this habit. Because by doing so, you link your different accounts. So it means if a hacker breaks into one of your accounts, he can easily access your other linked accounts. So avoid linking your accounts whenever and wherever possible. In fact, it’s a good practice to always sign up for a new service.

5 simple tips to protect your Gmail, Facebook and other online accounts

Bill and Hillary Clinton&#39;s charitable foundation hired the security firm FireEye to examine its data systems after seeing indications they might have been hacked, according to two sources familiar with the matter. 
 
So far, no message or document hacked from the New York-based Clinton Foundation has surfaced in public, the sources said. 
 
One of the sources and two US security officials said that like hackers who targeted the Democratic National Committee, Hillary Clinton&rsquo;s presidential campaign and the Democrats&#39; congressional fundraising committee, the hackers appear to have used &ldquo;spear phishing&rdquo; techniques to gain access to the foundation&#39;s network. 
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<h5>Speaking on the condition of anonymity, the US officials said the hackers used the same techniques Russian intelligence agencies or their proxies employed against the Democratic Party groups.</h5>
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These techniques include creating bogus emails or websites in an effort to gain access to Clinton Foundation staffers&rsquo; emails and then to the foundation itself. 
 
Speaking on the condition of anonymity, the US officials said the hackers used the same techniques Russian intelligence agencies or their proxies employed against the Democratic Party groups, which suggests that Russians also attacked the foundation. 
 
Kremlin officials dismissed as absurd the allegations of Moscow&#39;s involvement, which were made last month amid political party nominating conventions for the Nov. 8 election. 
 
Neither former White House ounsel Kathryn Ruemmler, the Clinton Foundation&rsquo;s principal lawyer, nor a spokeswoman for the foundation responded to requests for comment on the hacking and the precautions the organisation has taken. 
 
Officials with FireEye said the company could not discuss its clients. 
 
Although no documents have emerged, the attacks have left some Democrats and Clinton campaign officials worried that the hackers might have obtained emails and voice messages that could be used to reinforce Republican charges that donors to the Clinton Foundation were rewarded with access to Clinton and her aides while she was secretary of state or to her husband, former President Bill Clinton. 
 
Another concern: hackers or outlets such as the anti-secrecy WikiLeaks website could release documents and emails damaging to her presidential campaign, several people familiar with the foundation&#39;s activities said. 
 
The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee convened a closed-door meeting yesterday to discuss best cyber security practices. 
 
The meeting, according to people familiar with it, included a recommendation that staff and lawmakers change their phone numbers and email addresses if that information was published online by hackers believed to be working for or with Russian intelligence agencies. 
 
One of the US officials said, however, that the spear phishing pattern used against several organisations, appears to reinforce the intelligence community&#39;s &quot;preliminary assessment&quot; that the attacks were intended more for espionage than for trying to influence the US presidential election. 
 
So far, said a third US official familiar with the attacks, there is no evidence that the hackers were able to follow any of the hacked emails into the state department&#39;s classified email systems. 
 
Anxiety in Washington over the possibility that a foreign power might be using hacked information to meddle in the US election has prompted some Democrats and cyber security experts to urge the Obama administration to blame Russia publicly. 
 
Rep. Jim Himes, a Democrat on the House of Representatives intelligence committee, said the United States should carry &quot;a big stick&quot; in cyber security matters. &quot;The US government needs to be very clear, very direct, and hold these people accountable.&quot; 
 
Current and former White House and intelligence officials said the Obama administration is unlikely to blame Russia publicly, given the difficulty of attributing the attacks without revealing American sources and methods, the geopolitical concerns at play, and a fear that doing so could risk aggravating cyber conflict. 
 
(Reuters)

A source and two US security officials said that the hackers appear to have used 'spear phishing' techniques to gain access

Bill and Hillary Clinton's charitable foundation hired the security firm FireEye to examine its data systems after seeing indications they might have been hacked, according to two sources familiar with the matter. So far, no message or document hacked from the New York-based Clinton Foundation has surfaced in public, the sources said. One of the sources and two US security officials said that like hackers who targeted the Democratic National Committee, Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign and the Democrats' congressional fundraising committee, the hackers appear to have used “spear phishing” techniques to gain access to the foundation's network. Speaking on the condition of anonymity, the US officials said the hackers used the same techniques Russian intelligence agencies or their proxies employed against the Democratic Party groups. These techniques include creating bogus emails or websites in an effort to gain access to Clinton Foundation staffers’ emails and then to the foundation itself. Speaking on the condition of anonymity, the US officials said the hackers used the same techniques Russian intelligence agencies or their proxies employed against the Democratic Party groups, which suggests that Russians also attacked the foundation. Kremlin officials dismissed as absurd the allegations of Moscow's involvement, which were made last month amid political party nominating conventions for the Nov. 8 election. Neither former White House ounsel Kathryn Ruemmler, the Clinton Foundation’s principal lawyer, nor a spokeswoman for the foundation responded to requests for comment on the hacking and the precautions the organisation has taken. Officials with FireEye said the company could not discuss its clients. Although no documents have emerged, the attacks have left some Democrats and Clinton campaign officials worried that the hackers might have obtained emails and voice messages that could be used to reinforce Republican charges that donors to the Clinton Foundation were rewarded with access to Clinton and her aides while she was secretary of state or to her husband, former President Bill Clinton. Another concern: hackers or outlets such as the anti-secrecy WikiLeaks website could release documents and emails damaging to her presidential campaign, several people familiar with the foundation's activities said. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee convened a closed-door meeting yesterday to discuss best cyber security practices. The meeting, according to people familiar with it, included a recommendation that staff and lawmakers change their phone numbers and email addresses if that information was published online by hackers believed to be working for or with Russian intelligence agencies. One of the US officials said, however, that the spear phishing pattern used against several organisations, appears to reinforce the intelligence community's "preliminary assessment" that the attacks were intended more for espionage than for trying to influence the US presidential election. So far, said a third US official familiar with the attacks, there is no evidence that the hackers were able to follow any of the hacked emails into the state department's classified email systems. Anxiety in Washington over the possibility that a foreign power might be using hacked information to meddle in the US election has prompted some Democrats and cyber security experts to urge the Obama administration to blame Russia publicly. Rep. Jim Himes, a Democrat on the House of Representatives intelligence committee, said the United States should carry "a big stick" in cyber security matters. "The US government needs to be very clear, very direct, and hold these people accountable." Current and former White House and intelligence officials said the Obama administration is unlikely to blame Russia publicly, given the difficulty of attributing the attacks without revealing American sources and methods, the geopolitical concerns at play, and a fear that doing so could risk aggravating cyber conflict. (Reuters)

Clinton Foundation hired cyber firm after suspected hacking, say sources

The Obama administration on Tuesday released a new directive outlining how the US&nbsp;government intends to respond to significant cyber attacks. 
 
The United States will use sanctions against those behind cyber attacks that target transportation systems or the power grid, the White House said on Tuesday, citing Russia and China as increasingly assertive and sophisticated cyber operators.

The sanctions will be used &quot;when the conditions are right and when actions will further US&nbsp;policy,&quot; White House counter-terrorism adviser Lisa Monaco said in prepared remarks to a cyber security conference.

Monaco cited an &quot;increasingly diverse and dangerous&quot; global landscape in which Iran has launched denial-of-service attacks on U.S. banks and North Korea has shown it would conduct destructive attacks.

&quot;To put it bluntly, we are in the midst of a revolution of the cyber threat - one that is growing more persistent, more diverse, more frequent and more dangerous every day,&quot; she said.The United States is working with other countries to adopt voluntary norms of responsible cyber behaviour and work to reduce malicious activity, she said. At the same time, it will use an executive order authorizing sanctions against those who attack US&nbsp;critical infrastructure. 
 
Monaco introduced a new directive from President Barack Obama that establishes a &quot;clear framework&quot; to coordinate the government&#39;s response to cyber incidents.

The directive provides for the first time public guidance on the specific roles different federal agencies, such as the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Department of Homeland Security, should play in coordinating efforts to investigate and response to cyber incidents that hit both government and the private sector. 
 
&quot;It will help answer a question heard too often from corporations and citizens alike, &#39;In the wake of an attack, who do I call for help?&#39;&quot; she said. 
 
The directive includes a five-point scale detailing how it grades the severity of an incident. 
 
A significant cyber incident is defined as one that is likely to result in harm to national security or economic interests, foreign relations, or the public confidence, health safety or civil liberties of the American people, according to a White House fact sheet. 
 
(Reuters) 
&nbsp;

US is working with other countries to adopt voluntary norms of responsible cyber behaviour and work to reduce malicious activity

The Obama administration on Tuesday released a new directive outlining how the US government intends to respond to significant cyber attacks. The United States will use sanctions against those behind cyber attacks that target transportation systems or the power grid, the White House said on Tuesday, citing Russia and China as increasingly assertive and sophisticated cyber operators. The sanctions will be used "when the conditions are right and when actions will further US policy," White House counter-terrorism adviser Lisa Monaco said in prepared remarks to a cyber security conference. Monaco cited an "increasingly diverse and dangerous" global landscape in which Iran has launched denial-of-service attacks on U.S. banks and North Korea has shown it would conduct destructive attacks. "To put it bluntly, we are in the midst of a revolution of the cyber threat - one that is growing more persistent, more diverse, more frequent and more dangerous every day," she said.The United States is working with other countries to adopt voluntary norms of responsible cyber behaviour and work to reduce malicious activity, she said. At the same time, it will use an executive order authorizing sanctions against those who attack US critical infrastructure. Monaco introduced a new directive from President Barack Obama that establishes a "clear framework" to coordinate the government's response to cyber incidents. The directive provides for the first time public guidance on the specific roles different federal agencies, such as the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Department of Homeland Security, should play in coordinating efforts to investigate and response to cyber incidents that hit both government and the private sector. "It will help answer a question heard too often from corporations and citizens alike, 'In the wake of an attack, who do I call for help?'" she said. The directive includes a five-point scale detailing how it grades the severity of an incident. A significant cyber incident is defined as one that is likely to result in harm to national security or economic interests, foreign relations, or the public confidence, health safety or civil liberties of the American people, according to a White House fact sheet. (Reuters)

US outlines government response to major cyber attacks in fresh directive

The United States is pleased to see progress has been made with China on information sharing about cyber threats, said a senior US official on Tuesday during the latest round of cyber security talks between the two countries. 
 
Cyber security has long been an irritant in relations between China and the United States, the world&#39;s two largest economies. 
 
China and the US signed an anti-hacking accord in September last year, brokered during Chinese President Xi Jinping&#39;s state visit to Washington, including a pledge that neither country would knowingly carry out hacking for commercial advantages. 
 
The agreement marked an ongoing effort to repair relations after China withdrew from a working group in 2014 in response to the US indictment of five members of its military on charges it hacked six US companies. 
 
Meeting in Beijing, US Department of Homeland Security Under secretary Suzanne Spaulding said the focus on the talks was to make sure both sides fulfilled commitments made by the two presidents. 
 
&quot;We look forward to discussing the commitments we made with regards to not engaging in IP theft of trade secrets and confidential business information,&quot; she told reporters. 
 
A key element of the agreement is information sharing and establishing mechanisms. 
 
She said the two sides had been setting up email addresses to share information. 
 
&quot;We are very pleased to have temporary email addresses and very much appreciate&quot; working to set up permanent addresses, said Spaulding. 
 
Chinese Minister of Public Security Guo Shengkun said that China highly valued the talk. 
 
&quot;We want to bring the discussions from policies on paper to actual implementation,&quot; said&nbsp;Guo. 
 
&quot;Both sides will continue to cooperate on cyber cases. I believe the leadership on both sides places emphasis on the issue and values participation. Xi Jinping has personally been involved,&quot; he further added. 
 
China, Russia and Iran are among what the United States believes are its most prolific and sophisticated hacking adversaries. 
 
US officials have privately blamed Beijing for a massive hack on federal employee records last year, which exposed sensitive personal information of more than 22 million current and former government workers.

Washington and Beijing pledge to keep refraining from political hacking and corporate espionage

The United States is pleased to see progress has been made with China on information sharing about cyber threats, said a senior US official on Tuesday during the latest round of cyber security talks between the two countries. Cyber security has long been an irritant in relations between China and the United States, the world's two largest economies. China and the US signed an anti-hacking accord in September last year, brokered during Chinese President Xi Jinping's state visit to Washington, including a pledge that neither country would knowingly carry out hacking for commercial advantages. The agreement marked an ongoing effort to repair relations after China withdrew from a working group in 2014 in response to the US indictment of five members of its military on charges it hacked six US companies. Meeting in Beijing, US Department of Homeland Security Under secretary Suzanne Spaulding said the focus on the talks was to make sure both sides fulfilled commitments made by the two presidents. "We look forward to discussing the commitments we made with regards to not engaging in IP theft of trade secrets and confidential business information," she told reporters. A key element of the agreement is information sharing and establishing mechanisms. She said the two sides had been setting up email addresses to share information. "We are very pleased to have temporary email addresses and very much appreciate" working to set up permanent addresses, said Spaulding. Chinese Minister of Public Security Guo Shengkun said that China highly valued the talk. "We want to bring the discussions from policies on paper to actual implementation," said Guo. "Both sides will continue to cooperate on cyber cases. I believe the leadership on both sides places emphasis on the issue and values participation. Xi Jinping has personally been involved," he further added. China, Russia and Iran are among what the United States believes are its most prolific and sophisticated hacking adversaries. US officials have privately blamed Beijing for a massive hack on federal employee records last year, which exposed sensitive personal information of more than 22 million current and former government workers.

US sees progress in latest cyber talks with China

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