It’s a new year and a good time to think about your passwords — email, banking, etc. Many people I know use a one-word password for almost all their accounts, and often the same one across the board. But think about this: if your passwords are easy to hack, you’re vulnerable to having your personal information exposed and your finances at risk. Hackers have computer programs that automatically try the most common passwords and every word in the dictionary — so you need to be more creative!
Use the following ideas to create a more secure password:
1. Never use a simple dictionary word by itself.
2. Use at least 8 characters.
3. Use upper and lower case letters AND include numbers.
To be extra secure, you might think of a phrase you like and take the first letter of each word to make up your password as a mnemonic. For instance, what could 12BmS34sTd refer to? At first glance, you’d think you’d NEVER be able to remember that gobbledygook in a million years, right? But it’s actually very easy, once you know what it’s a mnemonic for — “One, two, buckle my shoe; three, four, shut the door.” You don’t absolutely have to alternate the upper and lower case letters, but it does help make the password unhackable. Make it memorable for yourself but difficult for anyone else to guess.
So take a good look at your passwords and change any that seem too easy to guess. 2013 will be a happier year if you take a little time now to make a strong but personally memorable password which will make it that much harder for a hacker to access your accounts.