According to a Clark School study at the University of Maryland, a cyber-attack attempt is made once every 39 seconds.

I suspect that’s an optimistic number.

Given how cybercriminals use bots for automated attacks, pretty much anyone, anywhere, is at risk of cyberattack. But there’s good news.

You don’t have to be a victim. There are steps you can take.

But if you’re the sort of person who wants to become a victim of a cyberattack, this is how you could best go about it.

No Password

I get it.

Remembering passwords is a hassle — especially when you either need to remember multiple passwords for multiple devices or adhere to specific password requirements such as upper and lowercase letters, numbers, and special characters.

And typing even an easy password seems like an annoying step. This is even more so for commonly used devices.

It seems a lot easier to set your smartphone, tablet, laptop, etc., to open without entering a password each time.

How confident, though, are you in that device never being lost, stolen, or used by an unauthorized individual?

Are you willing to bet your bank account? Or your emails?

It’s the 21st century. Criminals are less interested in your wallet than they are all those juicy account numbers in your system.

A password isn’t such a tough precaution when compared to the havoc a bad actor could cause.

Weak password

True story.

A couple of months ago, I visited a friend who works as a network troubleshooter for a major network systems company.

While there, I needed to pull some files off the cloud and asked to use his WiFi.

The password? His domestic partner’s name.

And yes, he at least had the good grace to look embarrassed.

I suppose if he wasn’t home and I was the sort to log into a system without permission (I’m not), I had an excellent chance of guessing that password. In fact, the only thing that would have kept me from trying it out was assuming a network specialist wouldn’t have such a poor password pick.

Maybe that was his plan. But more likely, he wanted something easy and quick to remember.

Most people do.

But therein lies the danger.

Many simple passwords can be brute-forced guessed with some simple software. Even without the software, it’s not unreasonable to assume that someone who knows even a bit of your personal life could make some correct guesses.

Even words not associated with you personally but findable in a dictionary can put your account at risk.

It’s worth taking a little bit of extra time to create a password that’s a good mix of letters, numbers, and special characters.

Unchanged default password

Routers and smart home devices come with default passwords, and few people think of changing these. To be fair, it’s not always obvious how to do this.

Just the same, consult your manuals and learn how. Default passwords are a common commodity on the Dark Web, and there’s a good chance it will be the first thing a potential intruder will try.

Is your refrigerator hooked up to your WiFi? How about your thermostat? These are things, and they can provide a backdoor into your network for hackers with the right kind of skills.

Why risk it?

Anything in your house with a default password should be checked and adjusted so this weak link is no longer exposed.

Reusing or never changing passwords

A lot of hacks and ransomware attacks begin with a breach somewhere. Maybe your Equifax account was part of their big data breach. Information connected to hundreds of thousands of financial accounts was stolen.

Including yours.

Good companies force you to change your password in such a situation, but not all companies are so thoughtful. And now it’s only a matter of time before some stranger comes wandering into your account.

Or maybe you did change your password. But you also use that same password for your online banking. Or your utility bills.

Cybercriminals know this, and it doesn’t take a lot of work to get a bit to try different logins with your password to eventually break in.

The best way to protect yourself is to use different passwords for different accounts and change them regularly. Set a calendar reminder to change your passwords every few weeks.

There are password managers available to help you keep track. If you don’t want to use that, you could keep a handwritten log so long as you kept it in an absolutely secure place.

It’s extra work but less work than dealing with ransomware or identity theft.

Poorly configured device

Do you have two-step authorization set up on your device? Do you have password protection turned on at all?

Those are two of the most obvious ways you can open your network or device to intrusion.

But deeper in your device and network are other options you can select to bolster your security or weaken it. Check to see what level of encryption your router is using, and make sure you’re using the most recent versions available.

Do you have file sharing set up on your computer or tablet? Do you limit sharing to specific devices or have password requirements set?

I know it can be a hassle setting up hoops to jump through — even for devices in your own home — but every little bit you can do to protect your system from outsiders, the better.

Oh, there’s more

The unfortunate truth is that cybercrime is on the rise, and the attack methods continue to grow more sophisticated. Simple security-conscious steps can go a long way in protecting you from the worst:

• Don’t share passwords or leave them out in the open
• Change passwords often
• Vary your password use among devices and online accounts
• Use smart password creation
• Never leave default passwords in their default state
• Check your device settings for any security holes
• Stay current on the latest news regarding cybercrime trends
• Update your virus and malware protection software whenever new updates become available
• Don’t think cybercrime can’t happen to you!

There are few guarantees in life, but following these steps puts you in a better defensive position, so you don’t lose data, time, money, and sleep as the result of a cyberattack.

Simple steps save you from big hassles.

It’s worth the time and effort.