{"id":62837,"date":"2019-02-14T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2019-02-14T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.mozilla.org\/foxtail\/2019\/02\/14\/how-to-build-a-nest-of-privacy-and-security-using-better-passwords\/"},"modified":"2021-02-09T02:10:05","modified_gmt":"2021-02-09T02:10:05","slug":"how-to-build-a-nest-of-privacy-and-security-using-better-passwords","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.mozilla.org\/en\/firefox\/how-to-build-a-nest-of-privacy-and-security-using-better-passwords\/","title":{"rendered":"How to build a nest of privacy and security using better passwords"},"content":{"rendered":"

Imagine you\u2019re tucked safely into bed for the night when you hear a stranger\u2019s voice in another room. This happened to a Texas family when a hacker learned their password and took over their Nest camera<\/a>. They asked Amazon\u2019s Alexa to play Luis Fonsi\u2019s \u201cDespacito<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n

This is not an isolated incident. There have been so many hacked Nest accounts<\/a> that the company was compelled to email people. Nest asked them to take proactive measures to protect their home and family.<\/p>\n

The Nest incidents remind us of a stark and continuing reality.\u00a0 Hackers can access many of your private accounts if they know your email and frequently-used passwords. Password insecurity and password reuse can also lead to more serious consequences, such as identity theft or breached bank accounts.<\/p>\n

Practical advice for passwords
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Nest, as far as we know, has not been breached, but that is sort of besides the point. So many services have been hacked that there is a robust black market for email addresses and passwords<\/a>. Bad actors can find them and unleash chaos.<\/p>\n

We like this deep dive from Slate<\/a> if you\u2019re interested in how these markets operate.<\/p>\n

Firefox security experts recommend a few steps<\/a> to prevent unauthorized access to your accounts:<\/p>\n