Take Control of Your Passwords (It's Easier Than You Think)

Remember when you only needed to remember one password? Maybe it was your pet’s name, maybe your wedding anniversary. Simple times.

Now you need a different password for your bank, your email, your doctor’s portal, the pharmacy, Facebook, Netflix, Amazon, and dozens more. It’s exhausting. So you write them down on sticky notes, or you use the same password everywhere, or both.

Only last year, older adults lost $4.8 billion to online scams. Most of those scams started with a stolen password. But here’s the good news: you don’t need to become a tech expert. Three simple changes will make you safer than 80% of people online.

What About Writing Passwords Down?

First, let’s address what you’ve probably been told: “Never write down your passwords!”

Security experts actually disagree. Bruce Schneier, one of the world’s top cryptography experts, says writing passwords down is fine if you’re smart about it.

Safe places to keep written passwords:

• In your wallet with your other valuables (just your 2-3…