A good password is essential because it is the key into your account. Therefore, it’s imperative that your password is both strong and hard to crack, but also easy for you to remember.
Here are 10 tips on how to create and maintain a strong password.
- Length: Use a password that is at least 12 characters long. The longer the password, the harder it is to crack.
- Complexity: Include a mix of upper and lowercase letters, numbers, and special characters like !, @, #, $, %, ^, &, *, (, ), -, _, +, =, {, }, [, ], |, , :, ;, “, ‘, <, >, ?, ,, ., /, and ~.
- Unpredictability: Don’t use easily guessable passwords, such as your name, your birthday, or common words like “password” or “123456.”
- Uniqueness: Use a different password for each account to avoid having multiple accounts compromised if one password is hacked.
- Don’t use personal information: Avoid using personal information such as your social security number, phone number, or address as part of your password.
- Avoid dictionary words: Avoid using dictionary words, which can be easily guessed by attackers who use automated tools.
- Avoid common substitutions: Avoid using common substitutions such as replacing “o” with “0” or “i” with “1” because these are well-known tricks.
- Use passphrases: Consider using a passphrase, which is a sentence that includes spaces and punctuation, such as “MyDogIsMyBestFriend!”
- Use a password manager: Use a password manager to generate, store, and manage your passwords securely.
- Update regularly: Change your passwords regularly, especially after a security breach or if you suspect your account has been compromised.
