Password hacking is a serious matter that needs to be expunged. Data breaches happen almost yearly to big companies who we thought can have our personal information tight locked and secured. Tech giants like Yahoo, Sony, Tesco Bank and even a food service company like Pizza Hut have not been spared by crimes like these. Once instance that also comes in to mind when it comes to this is the breach that happened in 2014 where many celebrities got their phones hacked and their private photos were distributed all over the internet. However, ordinary individuals are not spared, so in this article, we’ll talk about how to make strong passwords for your safety.
Use a Combination of Letters, Numbers and Symbols
In trying to secure your account, you are defending them against two entities: first is a computer and the other is some adult man hiding in his mother’s basement. You need a password strong enough that can repel both. A good measure to take is to get a password long enough, preferably 12 characters or more and will have a combination of uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, punctuation marks and symbols.
Use Phonetics on Passwords
Once you’ve used something that’s suggested in the first entry, you might find yourself in another predicament – how to remember your password. Writing them down on a piece of paper is not advisable as you may lose it or someone might get their hands on it. So, the best way to go about this is to make your password easy to memorize. You can do this by turning ordinary sentences to passwords that fit the criteria above. Also, avoid using birthdates.
Avoid Using Dictionary Words and Phrases
Dictionary words or names that are intimate to you are not a good idea. So are using Bible verses or quotes from movies or works of literature. This is something that can easily be cracked by any computer software. However, there is a catch to this. Using four to five randomly chosen words will make it difficult for any human or computer to crack, plus it’s easy for you to memorize.
Don’t Use the Same Password Twice
Never use the same password twice. Using the same password for each account is fatal. The perpetrator may only have originally been after your gaming account but since you used the same password for all, they will most likely get access to your bank accounts, emails and your personal files.
Invest in a Password Manager
That being said, it is important to invest in a password manager. These programs will give you well made passwords that you can use for each of your many accounts by using just one password. Be prepared to shell out some amount of money because most of these programs won’t come free but they will be worth the investment. Many even argue that without a password manager, you will still inadvertently fall prey to one of the don’ts in making a password even how much you try to avoid them.
