How often should you change your passwords? This question crosses all of our minds, at the latest, when a new data breach makes the news. For a long time, the recommendation was to change passwords every three months. However, forced schedules have the opposite effect: If you change them too often, you’ll end up using weaker passwords. The smarter strategy is to use a strong, unique password for each account, supplemented by two-factor authentication. Changing a password immediately is only advisable when it’s truly necessary. This guide shows you exactly when that’s the case and how to protect yourself in the long term.