Recently I received an article about creating strong passwords. I felt with how important this information is that I wanted to share it with you to make sure that you are doing your part to stop your accounts from being hacked with better passwords.
Here are a few tips to create strong passwords:
- Make them long because with new algorithms and even computer programs built for cracking your password, the shorter the password, the shorter amount it takes to crack.
- Do NOT use personal information such as your pet’s names, anniversaries, children’s birthdays, phone numbers, addresses or any other personal information.
- Do NOT use real words as this also shortens the time it takes to crack it. An example of something you can use instead of a real word is 3l3ph@nt – it looks like a real word but isn’t ☺
- Include numbers, symbols, uppercase and lowercase letters. The more variety included in your password, harder it is to crack
- Do NOT reuse passwords for different sites. In the last few years we have heard of many sites, even Yahoo, being hacked. Once a cyber thief has a password they will attempt to use it on other sites to access more of your information.
- Change your passwords regularly. I know it is a pain to constantly have to remember new passwords for all of your different sites but it is very important to update them often to protect your sensitive information.