How can I make my Password strong? Print

The stronger your password is, the better security against intrusion by hackers and thieves. Your passwords are the keys you use to unlock your information, computer and online accounts. It's not hard to create strong passwords. This article would help you creating stronger passwords with a small amount of effort:

Strong password checklist

• Password should be over eight characters in length. (Short passwords are easier to crack than long passwords)
• Password must contain letters (small and capital), numbers and special characters like @, $, #, * etc. but:
  • Do not use sequential or repeating combinations, such as "12345678", "555555", "abcdefg".
  • Do not use common words with letters replaced by numbers or symbols, such as "M1cr0$0ft" or "P@ssw0rd".
• Easy for you to remember, but difficult for others to guess, and:
  • Not your login name, your son/daughter/spouse/pet's name, your birthday or your phone number. (common information about yourself or your family which people who know you can guess.
  • Not dictionary-based words, in any language. Hackers use sophisticated tools that can rapidly guess passwords that are based on words in the dictionary, in a variety of languages, and using words spelled backwards.

How to create easily a strong, memorable password

One way could be to come up with a "passphrase" by following these tips:

1. Think of a sentence that you can remember easily, such as "My cat fuzzy is four months older than my dog bablo". This will be your passphrase;
2. Take the first letter of each word of the sentence to create a new word. Using the example above, you'd get: "mcfi4motmdb".
3. Then mix it up by using a combination of upper and lowercase letters and numbers. Example: "mCfI4MoTmDb"
4. Finally, substitute some special characters that look like letters, to make this password even stronger. Example: "mCfI4M0@mDb"

Don't forget do's and do not's:

• Change passwords regularly
• Don't store written passwords in your desk;
• Don't give your passwords out to friends or family members;
• Never provide your password over e-mail
• Don't enable the Save Password Option
• Do not use the same passwords for multiple accounts