Password Contents
Avoid the predictable- birthdays, family names, sequential numbers (1, 2, 3, 4), and other easily guessed password choices. According to research, the password “1234565” was used over one hundred million times in 2021 and this took less than one second for individuals to hack it. When creating a strong password think of objects and number sequences that can’t easily be connected to your personal information.
Passphrases
Many digital users are replacing their passwords with longer passphrases because they tend to be easier to remember, harder to hack, and add an extra layer of protection. Passphrases can be a basic sentence, or a combination of several words mixed in with numbers and characters. Try upgrading a few of your passwords to passphrases today!
Avoid Remixes
In the business of everyday life we may be tempted to simply shuffle up and remix previous passwords when prompted to create a new one. This can be a dangerous habit, oftentimes previous passwords can already be compromised and we do not know it. Take the time to truly make a new password “from scratch” when your accounts ask you to update your password or when initiating the start of a new digital account or application.
New Account, New Password
Ensure that every single online account that you use has a unique and different password. This will ensure that in the event a password gets compromised, your other accounts will remain safe. It is scary to think that some digital users can have the exact same password for twenty different accounts and/or applications and this can make someone extremely vulnerable to a hacker. Prevent a cascading snowball of hacked accounts by having significant variations in your selected passwords.
Crafty Combinations
Online hackers are clever, determined, and methodical. The best way to keep your online accounts secure is by using passwords that are a crafty combination of lowercase letters, uppercase letters, numbers, and symbols. If you like using the name “upsavvy” in your passwords, try something like “Up$avvy!” instead. The more unique and original the combination, the stronger the password!