Nowadays, having a strong password is essential. In world where technology is constantly developing, and where hackers are (unfortunately) getting better at, well, hacking, its important you take the appropriate steps to protect yourself online.
With that in mind, here are 7 tips for creating a strong password:
- Use a password manager
Keeping track of your passwords isn’t an easy task, and unless you have an incredible memory, you’re probably going to need to store your passwords somewhere. It’s never a good idea to write those passwords down either, so finding a good password manager to store them digitally for you is a great way to keep your passwords safe and secure. LastPass is a great option!
- Longer passwords are better
You’ve probably heard about having an 8-character long password, but that’s become pretty standard now. To make sure your passwords are secure, your passwords should be at least 12 characters long.
- Don’t reuse passwords
Many of us are guilt for using the same password, but it’s really, really not a good idea. If you use the same password for multiple sites, a single leak of that password puts all your accounts at risk. Hackers will be able to log in to your other online accounts as well. So, switch them up, and if you’re worried about forgetting them, then a password manager is the answer.
- Combine unrelated words or phrases
A great way to create a strong password, is to compile unrelated words or phrases, such as zebra, bus, various, and carpet. Mix in some numbers and special characters as well to make is even more secure!
- Don’t use your birthday
It’s really important you don’t use anything personal to you in your password, such as your name, birthday or pets name. After all, if a hacker did want to access your accounts, they can look this kind of information up on social media so don’t base your passwords around it.
- Change your passwords when you have reason to
If you suspect your password has been stolen or leaked, change it immediately and ensure its totally dissimilar to your previous password.
- Special Characters
Special characters are a great way to help secure your password, but don’t get caught out by them! It’s so easy to fall into the trap of replacing letters with special characters that look like them, such as using @ for a. Make sure to use special characters unrelated to the letters being replaced.
Conclusion
Creating a strong password is a vital step in helping protect yourself from hackers, however it’s also really important to go beyond this by using Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA), sometimes known as Two-Factor Authentication (2FA). MFA, which you can find out more about here, stops hackers from accessing your account even if they know your password. So, using MFA is a must in today’s constantly evolving technological world.
Find out more about MFA and how to implement it on our previous blog here.