“Think of it as a ‘passphrase,’” she said. “And use the maximum amount of words permitted. Then write it down, putting it somewhere you can find it if you need it.”
As a double layer of protection, Kerskie recommended using an encryption key to scramble the letters of a password, and a decryption key to unscramble it.
An encryption key is usually a random string of bits generated specifically to scramble and unscramble data. Encryption keys are created with algorithms designed to ensure that each key is unique and unpredictable. The longer the key constructed this way, the harder it is to break the encryption code.
Kerskie recommended that her audience purchase a portable data storage device with the encryption key program preloaded on it, such as a flash drive that can be inserted into a USB port in a laptop or smartphone.
Kerskie acknowledged that some of the members of her audience might not be as proficient using current technology as others. She indicated that the price for their ignorance could be a costly one.
Contrary to popular belief, Kerskie said, staying off the internet puts people at greater risk of having their identities stolen, not less. Sooner or later, everything about you is going to be reported online if you don’t do it first. For example, she said, if retirees did not set up an online Social Security account, someone else might beat them to it and steal their benefits.
Kerskie said that identity theft threats were everywhere. Anyone who uses public Wi-Fi should beware the dangers of sharing it with hackers, Kerskie said, especially at an airport. Instead, she recommended that members of her audience buy a portable hot spot from their mobile carrier.
A mobile or portable hot spot is a small personal device that creates a small area of Wi-Fi coverage that connects nearby Wi-Fi devices to the internet.
Kerskie also cautioned against using a public charging station to recharge your personal electronic devices. Instead, she said, clients should buy a portable power stick or backup charger that they can bring with them to recharge their devices. But they shouldn’t plug any device with personal data on it into a USB port that isn’t their own.
“Convenience and privacy don’t live in the same space,” Kerskie said.