HSBC has issued a warning to pet owners who share photos of their animals on social media, saying the posts could put their personal data at risk. The bank highlighted the dangers on Instagram, explaining that owners may unknowingly reveal sensitive information through seemingly harmless posts.
For example, if an owner uses their pet's name in a password and then shares that name online, they could be giving criminals access to their accounts. HSBC has therefore urged people not to include pet names in passwords, and to avoid using other personal details such as family information or birthdays.
Bank's social media alert
In the alert, HSBC said: "Cute post. Costly password. Did you know 15% of people use their pet’s name in their password? When you share your furry friend’s details online, you might be giving away the key to your sensitive data."
The bank also advised: "Keep your accounts safe with these simple steps: Create complex, unique passwords for each account. Avoid using pet names, birth dates, or family details. Enable Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) wherever possible."
Demonstrating the risk
In a video, the bank showed a scenario where a customer posted about their dog's birthday. A hacker learned the pet's name was 'Fluffy' and used it to try to access the customer's bank account, eventually succeeding with 'Fluffy123.' HSBC said: "For a hacker, it's as easy as '123'."
HSBC's website offers further guidance on creating strong passwords. The bank told customers: "Use a password that's easy for you to remember but hard for others to guess, such as three random words. It should be at least 12 characters long. Longer passwords are harder for hackers to crack."
Additional security advice
The bank stressed the importance of protecting banking accounts as well as other accounts, such as social media logins. HSBC said users should avoid anything easy to guess, including favourite sports teams or TV shows.
HSBC also recommended: "Save your passwords in your web browser (such as Chrome, Firefox, Safari or Edge) to make sure you don't lose or forget them. This is safer than using a weak password or using the same password for more than one account."
Another suggested method is to take the first letter or symbol of an easy-to-remember sentence. For example, 'My Dog Is Called Cyril And I Live At 45 Acacia Avenue Staines' could become 'MDICCAILA45AAS.' HSBC said adding a special character would make it even stronger.
