In today’s technology world, everything is becoming more connected and people are storing more of their personal information into the Cloud. But how do you protect all of your data as well as connected devices from unauthenticated users? Having a strong and secure password is a very good start. The use of a good password will not only keep people out of data, but will keep anyone trying to guess your password guessing for a lot longer.
Did you know that a seasoned password hacker can expose over 90% of 17,000 passwords in under 24 hours? Did you know that most people secure even there most sensitive information with a password that is less than 8 characters long and usually contains a dictionary word or personal information, such as a birthdate or name.
How can we better protect ourselves. The main point is to create a strong secure password and do not use the same password for everything. Maybe you have a password that you use for financials, such as your bank, credit cards, etc. Then you have another password you use for email, then another for misc. online accounts. Whatever your preference, keep your passwords unique. Having one good password that is used on everything does not do you much good if that one password is compromised. Personally for me, I use LastPass. This is a browser add in that allows for me to use random, long, and secure passwords that are unique for any login that I need. I only have to remember my one master password. There are other similar tools, but this is an excellent way to protect yourself without having to remember all those passwords or sayings.
What makes up a strong secure password? Here are some guidelines to follow:
- Has at least 8 characters
- Does not contain your username, real name, or company name
- Does not contain a dictionary word
- Is complex using the 3 of the 4 (UPPER CASE LETTER, lower case letter, Special Character [!@#$%], Number)
A tip to create a strong password.
- Create a saying. For example, My daughter’s birthday is July 1 2011. Use a password of Mdbi07/01,2011
- Substitute characters. For example, My daughter’s birthday is July 1 2011. Use a password of Mdbi07-01-20!!
- Relate it. For example, I enjoy playing golf. Use a password of !3nj0yG0/f.
Danny McLean, PEI
