How to Create a Really Secure Password
Wednesday, May 1, 2019
Although it maybe tempting to stick with your pets’ name or your football team as your go-to password, these are always the easiest for hackers to crack once they have explored your social pages and done a bit of digging. In light of World Password Day, we’ve put together some tips on how to create a really secure, strong password to help you stay safe online.
Make your passwords long
Because a hacker operates via an automatic programme that runs through databases of common passwords and random combinations of characters, your password will stand the best chance if it’s unique, unpredictable, and best of all – long! The longer your password is, the harder it will be for anyone to guess, making it more secure.
Don’t use predictable phrases
As highlighted above, any common passwords such as Password123 will be cracked within seconds. Select a password that isn’t relevant to you, and something that hackers won’t easily be able to guess. There are free, online password generators that will spit out a combination of letters and numbers to create you a secure, unique password.
Don’t save passwords in browser
Whilst it may be tempting to save your password to the browser when it gives you the option, this gives hackers access to any of your accounts or programmes if they get hold of your device. If you can, it’s best to enter your password manually for maximum security.
Don’t keep the same password for all accounts
It’s important to ensure you have a different password for each of your accounts. Whilst it may be easier to keep the same password across all services, it’s vital that you use unique passwords for each service you log in to. The reason behind this is simple, if a hacker can guess a password for one account – they have access to all the accounts.
Use a password manager
If your business requires a variety of log in credentials with different passwords, then a password manager is recommended to ensure the passwords are never lost or forgotten. According to FossBytes, the top 9 free password managers software’s for 2019 include:
- KeePass
- LastPass
- Sticky Password
- Roboform
- Dashlane
- TrueKey
- LogMeOnce
- Symanted Norton Identity Safe
- Enpass Password Manager
Regularly change your password
Changing passwords on a regular basis will minimise the risk of your password getting hacked. This is because updating your password frequently prevents constant access if a hacker guesses your original email, and also prevents use of saved passwords should your device be compromised.
We hope that all the above has been useful for you and will help you in your next steps to staying safe online. For more information on how to stay protected online, take a look through our range of security, backup and recovery solutions or call us on 0333 332 0888.