Strong Passwords and Two-Step Sign-In for Important Accounts

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The FTC advises protecting your online accounts with a strong password that is hard to guess and turning on two-factor authentication, which is also known as two-step verification. This checklist sets out those steps, plus a few related ones from the same official consumer pages, as short actions you can copy and keep. It starts with your email account. It is general information, not advice about your own situation. It cannot recover a hacked account for you, and it does not replace the instructions from the company that runs the account.

Why your email account needs protection

  • Treat your email account as an important account to protect. Someone who hacked it could request password reset links for your other accounts, get those links from your inbox, change your passwords and lock you out.
  • Give your email account both protections, a strong password and two-factor authentication. The FTC calls protecting your email account this way critical.
  • Protect your other online accounts the same way. They may contain a lot of your personal information.

Strong password tips: what makes one strong?

  • If you create your own password, aim for at least 15 characters. The FTC says a password you create yourself should be long.
  • Use a combination of uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers and symbols. This is the mix the FTC describes for a password you create yourself.
  • If you prefer a passphrase, use random words separated by spaces. A long password can be hard to remember, and a passphrase may be easier.
  • Leave out common phrases, song lyrics and movie quotes. They are easy for a hacking program to guess.
  • You can let your browser or device create a password for you. The FTC notes that studies show people are not good at creating and remembering strong passwords.
  • If you want a password manager, read expert reviews before you choose one. That helps you find a reputable one.
  • Give the password manager itself a strong password. Protect it the same way you protect your other passwords.
  • Let your browser, device or password manager save your passwords. Strong passwords can be hard to remember, and these tools can fill them in the next time you log in.

Two-factor authentication: what to choose

  • Turn on two-factor authentication in each account where it is available. A hacker who steals your password cannot log in without the second authentication factor.
  • If you have the option, pick an authenticator app or a security key. The FTC calls these the more secure types.
  • Know how a code by text message or email works. This is the most common type: a one-time passcode, typically six digits or longer, that expires automatically.
  • Do not rely on a password alone. Even strong passwords are vulnerable to cyberattacks.
  • Learn the three kinds of extra sign-in credentials. They are something you know, like a PIN or the answer to a security question; something you have, like a one-time code or a security key; and something you are, like a scan of your fingerprint or face. Multi-factor authentication makes it harder for scammers to log in, even if they get your username and password.

Security questions and recovery details

  • Pick security questions that only you can answer. Hackers could try to guess your answers to get into your account.
  • Avoid questions with only a few possible answers, like the color of your first car. Hackers can guess them.
  • Avoid questions whose answers someone could find online or in public records, like your zip code, birthplace or mother's maiden name.
  • If you cannot avoid those questions, treat each answer like a password. Make it random and long, do not use it on other sites, and make sure you can remember it.
  • Check your account recovery information. The recovery email addresses and phone numbers listed should be ones you entered and have access to.

Devices and backups

  • Turn on automatic updates for your security software, internet browser, operating system and mobile apps. Software updates often contain critical patches and protections against security threats.
  • Back up the data on your computer and your phone. For the computer you can use an external hard drive or the cloud, and the FTC lists backups as one way to protect yourself from phishing.

Warning signs to watch for

  • Pay attention if you cannot log in, or if you get a notice about a username or password change you did not make. These can be signs that someone hacked the account.
  • Treat a sign-in notice from a device you do not recognize, or from a place you are not at, as a warning. It is another sign the FTC lists.
  • Listen when friends or family say they got messages from you that you did not send. These messages sometimes contain random links or fake pleas for help or money.
  • Do not click a link in an unexpected email or text. Contact the company using a phone number or website you know is real, because phishing messages try to trick you into clicking a link or opening an attachment that downloads malware. You can read more in warning signs of a fake immigration website.

If something goes wrong

  • Make sure your computer security software is up to date, then run a scan. If the scan finds suspicious software, delete it and restart your computer.
  • Follow the provider's account recovery instructions. That is the next step the FTC gives for getting back into a hacked account.
  • Once you are back in, change your account password. The FTC says to create a strong password that is hard to guess.
  • Sign out of all devices. Anyone logged in to your account on another device will get kicked out.
  • Look in your email settings for forwarding rules you did not set up, and delete them. That way your messages are not forwarded to someone else's address.
  • Tell your friends about the hack. Ask them not to click on links in emails from you and to ignore pleas for help or money.
  • If you think someone is using your personal information, report it at IdentityTheft.gov. You can get a personalized recovery plan there.
  • Forward a phishing text message to SPAM (7726). The information you give helps fight scammers.
  • Report the phishing attempt to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. That report also helps fight scammers.

The illustration is an invented scene, not a real place: a view looking up past a curved balcony with a metal railing toward a round skylight in a white ceiling.

The FTC pages give general security tips, and two-factor options depend on what each account offers. Before you change a setting, confirm the current steps on the account provider's official site and the current advice on the FTC consumer pages, and for authorized help with an immigration matter, see how to find authorized immigration help.

VisaNow.AI is not a law firm and does not give legal advice. This page is general information taken from official government pages; it does not assess anyone's case. An attorney-client relationship arises only with an independent attorney. Check the official pages for current details.

Information current as of 2026-10-29