After Odido and Albert Heijn: this is what you want to arrange now to protect all your online accounts

Today another one, this time Albert Heijn. Well, if there is one thing that has become clear lately, it is that our digital data is more vulnerable than we might think.

Recently, Odido made the news due to a massive data leak in which the personal data of millions of people was exposed. Today, Albert Heijn also reported a cybersecurity incident, causing the website, app, and customer service to temporarily go down. Whether customer data has been affected is still unknown. If even such large companies are dealing with this…

Okay. Clear. Odido and Albert Heijn is really a reminder that digital security is more important than ever.

And we haven't even talked about all the fake messages, phishing emails, and attempts to access your bank account or social media accounts. So here’s a tip from us: it’s high time to lock our digital front doors properly.

Why are our passwords so important?

Think about how many accounts you have. We all have an email account, a bank account, favorite webshops, health insurance, streaming services, social media, and of course various apps that we use daily to manage everything. Altogether, that quickly adds up to dozens of accounts.

Can you remember a different, good, and strong password for all those accounts? I certainly can't.

We use the same combination on multiple websites, add an exclamation mark somewhere, or change a number. Convenient, but definitely not safe. Because imagine if a password leaks at one service and you use that same combination for your email or another important account. Then one leak can suddenly have much larger consequences.

This is called credential stuffing: criminals automatically try leaked combinations of email addresses and passwords on other websites. If you use a different password everywhere, that trick works a lot less effectively.

What happens if your data is exposed?

Okay, don’t panic right away. Because a data leak doesn’t automatically mean someone has access to your accounts. But personal data can be used to target you for scams. Think of a message that supposedly comes from your provider, a phone call from someone pretending to be a bank employee, or an email that looks suspiciously like a message from a webshop where you are a customer.

So, it’s time to be alert.

Criminals can combine data to make their messages much more credible. They don’t even need to have your password directly to try to steal your money or other sensitive information.

According to the company, Odido has leaked the personal data of millions of people. This includes names, addresses, phone numbers, and email addresses. In certain cases, IBAN numbers and birth dates have also been affected. Odido reports that the passwords customers use to log in to My Odido have not been leaked. But hey, that doesn’t mean we can sit back and relax.

Let’s please be wise and stay extra alert to messages sent in response to such an incident.

What is a password manager actually?

Okay. This is the moral of my story. Because there is a solution: the password manager, also known as wachtwoordmanager in Dutch. Think of it as a kind of digital vault where you store your login details.

This password manager can generate a strong, complex, and unique password for each website and store it securely. When you want to log in, the app fills in the password for you. It works on your phone and computer.

So: you can use a different password for each website without your head turning into a huge collection of letters, numbers, and exclamation marks. You basically only need to remember the master password of this digital vault.

I have been using Dashlane for years, but that is certainly not the only option. And my master password? It’s a whole sentence!

Is a password manager safe?

But is it wise to store all my passwords in one place? Sounds like an attractive target too. However, a good password manager is specifically designed to store and protect your data encrypted. According to the Consumers' Association, a password manager is generally much safer than using the same or a weak password everywhere.

Of course, no solution is a magic shield against all forms of cybercrime. You also need to secure your digital vault properly. Therefore, choose a strong, unique master password, enable two-factor authentication where possible, and keep your phone, computer, and apps up to date.

A password manager does not protect you against every form of fraud, though. So please don’t just click on links in messages and always check if you have actually landed on the official website of a company.

1Password, Dashlane, or another password manager?

There are various password managers you can use. Two well-known names are 1Password and Dashlane. Both offer features to securely store and automatically fill in passwords. Depending on the service and subscription, you can also receive alerts about weak or reused passwords and data that may be involved in known data leaks.

So I use Dashlane.

What should you arrange today to be safer online?

You really don’t have to reorganize your entire digital life in one afternoon. But at least start with the accounts that are most important and work from there.

Okay, step by step:

• Secure your email extra well. Your email account is often the key with which you can recover passwords from other accounts. Use a strong, unique password and enable two-factor authentication.
• Use a unique password for each account. Especially for your bank, email, webshops, and social media. A password manager can generate all those different, strong passwords for you.
• Enable two-factor authentication. This means that in addition to your password, a second form of confirmation is needed to log in.
• Be alert to messages after a data leak. Don’t just click on links in texts or emails that urgently ask you to verify your details. Go to the official website or app yourself. You can sometimes recognize suspicious emails by the sender's address. So always check that.
• Check if your data appears in known data leaks. You can do this, for example, via Have I Been Pwned (oh my…., my email address already appears in 6 data leaks). Use a reliable check and don’t just fill in your password on a website you don’t know.

Your digital security starts with yourself

A password manager may not be the most exciting thing you add to your phone, but it is definitely one of the most useful. Especially when you consider how much personal information is hidden behind all those accounts.

So, is it really time for a (small) digital spring cleaning in October? Please start with your passwords.

Sources and more information: National Cyber Security Center on password managers, Odido on the cyber attack and Albert Heijn on the IT incident.