Here to talk about something really exciting- digital security! 👏

In the last week I’ve gotten a whole bunch of attempts with someone trying to reset the password to my instagram account via my email. Aka- probably a hacker. And in the last two weeks I’ve seen a a growing number of frantic posts about folks losing access to important things like their social media and email.

Little do they know, I’m one of the wrong people to try hacking. And that’s mostly thanks to my IT hubby scaring the bageeeeeeebus out of me and research of my own. As a business owner I have access to a lot of personal client information like home addresses, payment information and much more. The internet is tricky and there’s no way to be 100% safe if you choose to be online. However, I fully believe it’s my responsibility to keep that information as safe as possible by taking proper precautions. For things like my email, social media and client management system (Honeybook) I try to be as careful as I can. Luke has been a goldmine of wealth and knowledge that seemed valuable to pass along.

I feel like this topic isn’t talked about very often so I wanted to share some systems I’ve found useful and give me more peace of mind. So let’s dive in!

1. Lastpass

Bless this godsend of a software. Luke started using it a few years ago and I’m so thankful. If you’re anything like me and constantly forgetting passwords and resetting them all too often with small variations (or none at all let’s be honest) between all of your accounts- this is for you. It’s essentially a password manager that keeps all of the login information for your different media in a vault. It can auto fill for you or you can login to remind yourself of a password if you need to type in your credentials again.

One other *super important* feature of this program is that it can generate randomized passwords for you and store them. I have different 15+ character passwords for all of my accounts. I actually don’t even know what they are but I don’t need to because Lastpass remembers them for me! I used to generate my passwords with basic information like my favorite color and number (throw in an explanation point for good measure #security) so it would be easily remembered. But the scary part about that? It’s probably guessable by someone else to. Someone you don’t want having access to your precious information or the social media profiles you’ve poured so much time into. Longer, randomized passwords that you change quarterly are the way to go!

2. Dual Factor Authentication

This is a login method that most media companies have as an option when trying to gain access to your account. It essentially requires you to provide at least two articles of proof that you’re- well you. When you login with a username and password that’s the first line of defense. The second could be sending a pin code to your phone (because we hope that only you have that) via text and then you’re required to punch that code into your account before gaining access. Some other examples: the last four digits of your social security number, fingerprint scan or personal security questions. This website has a lot of great information if you’d like more details. To start using this option you simply need to go into the application settings and turn it on. Anything from Instagram to your LinkedIn and email should have the option! It’s easy peasy and worth the few minutes it takes to set up!

2.5 Duo Mobile

I say 2.5 half because this app is like an extra line of defense to aid point #2. This is a program I discovered recently and wow it’s so cool! It’s a third party app that you download to lend support to your dual factor authentication. It generates a set of passcodes that you store in a safe place to use if you ever need to regain access to an account. I have my app linked to my Instagram right now. This company offers a more comprehensive security plan but for now I’m fine with the free, app version.

Woosh, I know that was a doozy and probably not what you were expecting this morning but it’s something so crucial whether you’re a business owner or someone who wants to protect their information. This doesn’t come close to exhausting all of the great options out there but I wanted to start with something simple anyone can implement. I hope this was helpful!

xoxo