Strong Passwords, Stronger Security: Best Practices

Truth be told, many of us tend to be complacent about our passwords. We often rely on the same password across multiple online accounts for the sake of convenience. Since nothing negative has occurred with our online accounts thus far, we mistakenly believe our passwords are secure.

Keep this in mind – a hacker can use minimal computer equipment to run repeated test sequences to figure out your password. Computer security researchers say this can be done within three hours.

A significant amount of our personal information is easily accessible online, including our home address, educational background, family member names, and other details. Hackers use this information as a starting point for their brute-force attack searches.

Do you answer social media questions, such as the name of your favorite pet or the model of your first car? Stop doing that. Hackers love it when you do – it’s a starting point for getting to your password.

What Makes a Strong Password?

A strong password is long; a password length minimum of 12 characters is recommended, but the longer, the better.

Create strong passwords with a mix of uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols.

Even the best, complex passwords aren’t secure forever. To maintain password security, change your existing password frequently. You can set a reminder to do so in a calendar app.

What Is a Weak Password?

Memorable passwords are often weak passwords. For example, you use your street address, first or last name, alma mater nickname, or other easily discoverable information.

In other words, using MapleStreetBuckeyeFan20 (which includes the graduation year) is not a good idea. Additionally, avoid using easily memorable keyboard patterns, such as sequences of letters or numbers found on the keyboard. These types of passwords are often the starting point for phishing attacks by computer hackers.

Why Is a Secure Password Important?

A secure password gives you online security. Brute force attacks by hackers and data breaches can be common – at home and in the workplace. You need a unique password for each of your online accounts to protect your identity and finances.

Should You Use a Password Manager for Good Password Ideas?

Using password managers is a very good idea. All your accounts and passwords are protected by a master password you established. The password manager App handles the timely changing of all your different passwords. The constant change helps keep each password strong.

If you add a new online account, the password manager will establish a new password for that.

Good Password Ideas and Practices

Use a password manager App.

That’s the easiest way to keep your accounts secure and password strength high. The App will automatically run password generators and change your passwords within a set time frame.

Don’t use a memorable password.

This may mean not using a password that you can easily remember. However, the best passwords don’t use information about you that is easily discoverable on the internet.

Use the first letter of each word in a sentence.

Make your own unique passwords by using the first letter of each word in a sentence. The strong password becomes the sequential letters of each word, with a mix of numbers and symbols. For example, “We got married and moved into our first house but sold it later” would become “WgmamIofhIbsii” and you could insert an unusual symbol such as ^ or + in between phrases.

Mix at least four random dictionary words.

Another idea to try is choosing at least four random words and making them your password. Try picking unusual words instead of common words to create a random sequence that doesn’t make sense. Making a password like this can be as simple as pointing to a dictionary word.

Combine uppercase and lowercase.

Remember the fundamental strong password ideas by combining uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols.

Don’t overuse your passwords.

Don’t use the same password at multiple locations, such as work and home.

Keep passwords private.

Don’t share passwords with coworkers or in the Cloud.

Don’t keep password files.

Don’t have a file on your computer, tablet, or phone where you save passwords. That’s a bad idea and could lead to a data breach of sensitive data on multiple sites.

Use multi-factor authentication.

For example, as you enter your login details and account credentials, a numeric code will be texted to your phone or sent to your email account. Only you can gain access to the account that way.

Exercise caution with security questions.

Hackers can easily find the answers to security questions. For instance, obtaining details such as your mother’s maiden name or your father’s middle name could take hackers only a few minutes. The information could be on a genealogy site or even in an obituary.

Don’t reuse old passwords.

Once you’ve changed a current password, never go back to it. Same with a forgotten password – once you’ve got the details that you had forgotten, then change that password.

Frequently Update Virus Protection Software

Safeguard your computer against cyber threats by installing and frequently updating virus protection software as well as defenses against password-capturing malware.

Be vigilant with your credit card account.

Check your credit card account on at least a weekly basis, and keep your spending limits low.

Check the URL before you click.

Try to practice taking a look at the URL before you click on a website. This can happen especially as you “go deeper” into sites, where sites refer users to other sites. Hackers use fake login pages that look like the actual site. You’ve probably encountered this in your junk email folder, where it claims you’ve won something from a large retailer or website. You might feel reassured because it’s a store or site you frequently use, but it’s actually a hacker attempting to impersonate the legitimate site. Frequently, it may be presented as an advertisement.

Best Practices for Creating Strong Ideas for Passwords

Let’s review. You should be feeling a little nervous about your trusty passwords at this point, and ready to make changes. Here are our best tips for getting that done:

• Use a password manager app: That will take the bulk of the work out of your hands. The password manager will use its random password generator. You’ll just need to have a master password.
• Create a strong password on your own: Use a mix of uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols.
• Create strong passwords spontaneously: Randomly type on your keyboard while utilizing the Capslock key, incorporating a combination of letters, numbers, and special characters.
• Use the dictionary: Type randomly on your keyboard, sometimes using the CapsLock key and mixing letters and numbers. Choose a random word from four different dictionary page openings. Use those four words, along with a mix of upper and lower case letters, with numbers and symbols.
• Make the Passwords Long: Experts advise a minimum of 12 letters, numbers, and characters, but even longer is better.

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