The internet is a world full of endless possibilities, but that comes at a price, and it can sometimes be unsafe.
This is why online security is very important. Ensuring what is yours, stays yours and safe, starts with a strong password.
The tips below can help you understand exactly what to look for and how to be smart about creating a password.
01. Don’t use personal information
Your password could easily be cracked if it was simply your name, followed by a few numbers. (Blake123 = not secure.) Also avoid using birthdays, or the names of your family, friends, or pets.
02. Don’t make your password “password”
Below are some of the most common passwords that are so easy to crack;
123456
Password
12345678
Qwerty
12345
123456789
Letmein
1234567
Football
iloveyou
Now you know what NOT to do, we’re going to show you some useful tips to consider when creating a strong password.
03. Make it long enough for security, but short enough for memory
The optimal password length is 8-12 characters and 8 should be the least character count. The rule of thumb here is that the longer the password is, the stronger it is. Said rule is also a bit of a double-edged sword, as a longer password may be more easily forgotten.
04. CAPS, num3r5, & $pec|@l characters
Adding unique characters to your password can drastically strengthen its security.
Your password should contain a mix of lowercase and uppercase letters, numbers, and special characters. Doing so can make it significantly harder to crack.
05. Try “phrasing” your password
Passphrases are another popular and secure way to go. Phrases can be easier to remember. Punctuation, special characters are already included.
If you don’t want a very long passphrase, you could take the first two letters from each word and combine it into a password. Take something like your favourite song lyrics or movie quote, in that way you’ll remember it and chop it up. For example:
They’re coming to get you, Barbara = Thcotogeyoba = Th’C02Geyo,Ba!
Password checkers can show you how strong a given password is and as shown above, how long it would take to crack. Example, for the password - January1950 the strength is 62% and a Brute-Force attack cracking time estimate is about 6 days and is not safe with a Dictionary attack check (password -'January1950' follows the pattern [dictionary word]lyear] password is Not safe!).
If you use the same password with CAPS,numbers & Special characters e.g. J@nu@%y9T33nF1fty it is then 100% strong and would take a Brute-Force attack about 13 trillion years to crack and is Dictionary attack safe. Remember this is an example do not use this as a password.
See how safe your passwords are by using this website Password checkers