Do’s And Don’ts For Making Your Passwords Stronger

 

Passwords are hard work these days but are essential for staying safe online.

New reports suggest that what you may think is a very strong password, might actually doing more harm than good.

The National Institute of Standards and Technology released a report which challenged numerous practices that were once believed to make a strong password.

Here’s what the report tells us to do and not to do when it comes to creating passwords:

Do:

1) Use a password manager – A password manager allows you to have strong and completely unique passwords (that you’d never be able to remember yourself) for every one of your accounts online.

2) Create a password that is at least 8 characters long – this is an oldie but a goodie. Passwords that are too short are obviously easier to crack. If you want to stay safe online ensure your password is at least 8 characters long.   

3) Use even longer passwords – if you can, take advantage of being able to use very long passwords.

4) Keep passwords for as long as you’d like – unless your accounts have been breached (or you’ve forgotten your password) then there is no reason to change your password. Don’t think you have to change your password every 90 days.

Don't:

1) Use repetitive passwords – We know that they are easy to remember but that also means they are easier to guess. Avoid using passwords like “12345678” or “bbbbbbbb”.

2) Use password hints – Password hints just make it easier for a stranger to guess your password. Don’t use them.

3) Use password reset questions – Questions like “Where were you born?” and “What’s your mother’s maiden name?” aren’t top secret questions. This information can be easily found online in many cases so avoid/skip this step.

4) Use passwords related to the service – For example, using “Facebookpassword” as your password for Facebook isn’t a good idea. Avoid using any password that includes the service name within them.

5) Think special characters make your password stronger – once upon a time special characters like &’s, ?’s and @’s were thought to make your password stronger, however they aren’t any stronger than any other character. If they make your passwords harder to remember then you don’t need to use them.

Obviously there is no full proof way to keep your accounts safe online, however these tips should help you to make your passwords as strong as possible as well as easier to remember.