Three simple steps to a secure password

We live in a world where you need to create new passwords regularly. Some of them are for unimportant things (where your money or identity isn’t at risk), and for those, you are free to use a weaker password because it will be a lot less hassle. However, there are times when you need to create a really strong password to protect your important information.

Here are three simple steps to creating a strong password.

1. Passwords must be eight characters or longer. No excuses.
2. Combine letters, numbers, and other keyboard symbols but stay away from sequences (such as 12345678 or abcdefgh or qwertyui). If there’s a pattern involved, then there’s also a weakness! Also steer clear of passwords where you substitute similar-looking symbols for characters (such as p@55w0rd; hackers know all these tricks). The more random a password, the better.
3. Don’t use your name, birthday, anniversary, or any words from the dictionary. You’re wasting your time even putting these passwords in place. They make it way too easy for the bad guys to get at your stuff.
   

Remember, a weak password is effective only against an honest person.

For more information on passwords, see the tip Store your passwords safely.

The information in this tip originally appeared in the PC Protection 101 online class.