Longer Passwords Are Tougher to Crack.
Strong passwords use a combination of at least 14 characters, including letters, numbers, and symbols. However, not all passwords are equally secure by those guidelines alone.
Did you know that if your password is six characters or less, a computer can crack your password immediately, regardless of the character combination you choose? Even if your password is 11 characters long, if it only has lowercase letters, a computer can crack it in a day.
Think about all of your password-protected private information online (bank accounts, social media, medical data, etc.). How confident are you in your password’s integrity? Creating a strong password doesn’t have to be a complicated process. There’s no such thing as a perfect password, but we’ll show you some tips on creating a strong password that even computers would need over 34,000 years to crack.
9 Do’s and Don’ts of Making a Strong Password
1. Use At Least 14 Characters.
Longer passwords are tougher to hack. We recommend using a combination of at least 14 characters. Generally, the more characters you have, the safer you’ll be.
2. Use a Combination of Letters, Numbers, and Symbols.
Have you ever wondered why many companies make you use at least one number, one capital letter, and one symbol in your password? It’s to help protect your information. For example, for a ten-character password, it would take a computer approximately seven months to crack your password if it had an uppercase letter and a number. If you replaced one lowercase letter with a symbol, it would take a computer approximately five years to crack the password instead.
3. Choose a Unique Password.
You want to create a seemingly random password that a hacker can’t easily guess. Don’t use personal information like the name of a pet, your address number, or the year you graduated high school. A savvy hacker can find this information and make educated guesses easily via social media.
Likewise, don’t use a password with words that are easy to guess, like password1234 or Passw0rd. Passwords like these are easy to crack for hackers and computer programs alike.
4. Avoid Common Character Substitutions.
Like in the unique password example above, you may think you’re being tricky, but using a 0 instead of an O, a 3 instead of an E, or a $ instead of an S are all common substitutions. Special characters should be used in a seemingly random fashion to create a strong password.
5. Don’t Use Keyboard Strings.
If it’s easy to type and easy to remember, it’s not a strong password. Keyboard strings are a series of letters, numbers, and/or symbols that appear next to one another on a standard keyboard. Asdf, Qwerty, 12345, and !@#$% are just a few examples of strings you should avoid when creating a password.
6. Create Passphrases Instead of Passwords.
Longer passphrases are more effective against brute-force computer password hacks, easier to remember than random passwords, and more difficult for hackers to guess.
You can create a passphrase by taking a short phrase, replacing some of the letters with numbers and symbols, and abbreviating some words. For example, the famous quote, “You miss 100 percent of the shots you don’t take,” becomes Um1zOne00%ot$youXt8. Or, “Life is like a box of chocolates” becomes L!vZl8bx0^ChKl8.
7. Don’t Write Your Passwords Down.
If your passwords are written down on a sticky note under your keyboard or in a spreadsheet on your computer, someone can find it. The most robust passwords are stored securely in your own brain.
8. Use Multifactor Authentication (MFA).
MFA helps further protect your information if your password is hacked by providing an additional layer of security to confirm your identity.
In the most common scenario, a code is texted to your mobile device after your password is entered, or you’re required to enter a code from an authenticator app only you can access. Upon entering the code, you can finally enter the password-protected information.
9. Don’t Use Same Password for Every Account.
Having a “master key” to all of your accounts is easy for you to remember; it’s also easy for hackers to take control of your digital identity. A strong password isn’t as strong if you use it for multiple accounts.
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How Strong Is Your Password?
This chart can help you determine how strong your password is. Comparing the number of characters in your password with different combinations of letters, numbers, and symbols, the chart illustrates how long it would take a computer to brute-force crack your password by testing multiple combinations of characters.
Even with eight lowercase letters, a computer can uncover your password instantly. On the other hand, a 12 character password with at least one uppercase letter, number, and symbol would take 34,000 years for a computer to crack with brute force.
We Help Keep Your Business Safe.
As a technology partner, High Touch provides Cybersecurity solutions, including Security Awareness Training for employees, to help keep your business safe. Contact us to learn more about Cybersecurity for your business.