Here’s a scenario you’re probably familiar with: you create a new account online, and you need to provide a password. After a few tries, the website still tells you that your password isn’t strong enough. But how? You use this password for your email and other accounts, and it’s usually good enough?
It’s 2022, and it’s high time we discussed proper password etiquette. Let’s go through some simple steps that will help you create (and maintain) super-strong passwords in no time.
1. Do NOT Reuse Any Of Your Existing Passwords
The biggest mistake you can make with your password (besides using the word “password”) is reusing an old one. People think that a master password can help them remember it all, but the thing is – by reusing an old password, you are putting all your eggs into one basket.
Or, in other words – if a hacker gets to your master password, all your accounts protected by it are compromised. And yes, hackers and scammers do rely on you reusing your old passwords.
2. Use At Least 8 Characters
Nowadays, most services and apps won’t even allow you to create a password shorter than 8 characters. And for a reason.
The longer your password is, the harder it becomes to crack it. 8 characters are good, but 12 or more are even better.
3. Use Special Characters and Numbers
To protect your accounts in the best possible way, you need to incorporate as many different symbols into your password as possible. Special characters and numbers are slowly becoming a standard in the credentials game.
Since computers have way more computing power these days, brute-forcing a password is getting easier. By mixing it up with weird and exotic symbol combinations, you are making it significantly harder for hackers to crack your password.
4. Avoid Using Actual Words
Since we are human, and creating random gobbledygook isn’t easy at all, a new way of cracking passwords has appeared. We are talking about dictionary attacks. Essentially, a hacker will use an algorithm to apply known words (from the dictionary) to get your credentials.
This is the main reason why you should steer clear of using actual words from the English language in your password.
5. Use A Digital Tool
At the end of the day, keeping your password game strong manually can be a cumbersome thing to do. Thanks to how the internet works, most people have a double-digit number of accounts to manage.
If you find yourself juggling between passwords and master sheets to help you remember them, you should consider using special software to store them. This way, you can create, memorize, and use your passwords safely and easily.
Step Up your Password Game ASAP!
We all have an online presence of some sort in the age of the internet. Keeping your passwords in check will help you protect your online privacy and your sensitive data.
To summarize – never reuse passwords, use a combination of letters, numbers, and symbols, avoid using actual words, and if it all gets too much, use special security software. Stay safe!
