World Password Day: How to Create A Secure Password

In the digital world, passwords are needed for all aspects of life. Whether it is your online banking, emails, or social media accounts, having a secure password is key to protecting your data and private information. This World Password Day, we have created a list of some of our top tips on how to create a secure password.

The Longer, The Better

The longer your password is, the harder it will be for it to be hacked. When hackers use what is known as a brute force attack, they use a computer to run through every possible combination. The more letters, numbers, or symbols you have, the longer that process will take.

Nonsense Words

Use a mixture of words that have no relation to each other and would not normally be used together in a sentence. The more random the phrases, the harder it will be to figure out. Do not just swap the letter ‘o’ for the number ‘0’ or an ‘e’ for ‘3’, make the words grammatically incorrect by missing out letters all together. Try to also avoid popular phrases found in films or books.

Single-Use

We are all guilty of using the same password for multiple accounts, mainly because it is easier to remember one password than multiple ones. But if one of your accounts gets hacked, then all your other accounts that are protected by the same password, become vulnerable to hacking as well. Using unique passwords for all your accounts will increase your security levels.

Avoid Personal Details

Using information such as your birthday or middle name makes your password easy to guess. People will easily be able to look up your social profiles or search for your name online, to find out this information. It also makes it easier for people who know you personally, to hack into your accounts.

Keep it a Secret

You should not share your passwords with anyone or write them down for people to find. If you think you will have trouble remembering your password, write yourself a helpful hint as to what your password is, but again, do not make this clue too obvious so that anyone will be able to guess the answer.

Two-Factor Authentication

Whilst it will not help you create a secure password, two-factor authentications will help to protect your personal details. Working as an extra layer of security, it usually comes in the form of receiving a text message or phone call when logging into your account to very that it is you.

Password Checker

When creating a new account most websites will give suggestions on how many characters a password should have and what mixture of letters, numbers, and characters it should be. There will usually be an indicator telling you if the password you have chosen is weak, okay, or strong. Pay attention to this and use it to your advantage when creating a new secure password.

Google Chrome has an extension called Password Check-up you can install to your browser. Every time you enter a password, it will check to see if it has been hacked and encourage you to change it. This is a simple way of helping to keep your passwords secure and your information private.