With all of the different websites we log onto every day, it’s easy to settle for repeat passwords or something that’s easy to remember. But since weak or reused passwords lead to 81% of personal breaches, it’s necessary to have a secure password for each of your important accounts. These days, hackers use military strength password cracking software that can test millions of passwords per second, until they guess the correct one. To protect your accounts follow this three-part strategy.
Part 1: Create a strong password
For starters, here are some basic parameters to follow:
- Minimum of 12 characters
- Include numbers, symbols, lowercase and uppercase characters
- No dictionary words
- No obvious substitutions
Within these boundaries, you should create something strong but also easy to remember. One of the best techniques is to think of a memorable sentence and use the first letter from each word to create an abbreviation. Here’s an example phrase “My dog’s birthday is on august 8, 2018!” This sentence could be turned into: MdbioA082018! That password includes 13 characters, a symbol, upper and lowercase letters, and numbers. Another simple, yet effective, technique is to use patterns from your keyboard. By going down from the number 1, and also cleverly alternating upper and lowercase letters, we create the password: 1QAZ2wsx3EDC!
Part 2: Secure your password
To ensure that your accounts are secure, make sure that you use the two-factor authentication feature when it’s offered. The feature will text a code to your phone, which you can then type into your computer or other device. Even if your password is stolen, no one will be able to get into your account because they can’t get into your phone. Here’s our quick article about two-factor authentication for the uninitiated. You should also get in the habit of changing your password on a regular basis. Setting a reminder for the first of every month to switch your passwords is a great way to remember.
Part 3: Remember your password
Memorizing all your passwords without repeating them can be difficult if you aren’t blessed with a photographic memory. Utilizing a password manager such as Dashlane, which syncs across all your devices, could be the best solution. Just create a strong master password and the rest of your passwords will be protected and easy to find. Saving your passwords in an iPhone note or email may be a recipe for disaster, so it’s also a good idea to write them out on paper and store that somewhere safe.
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