Guidelines for Creating a Secure Password

With the amount of personal information that we provide over the Internet, it is crucial that we have secure passwords to protect this valuable information. Without a strong password, it is much easier for a hacker to figure out your password. This may lead to identity theft, which will result in the loss of security and money. It is also advised that you use different passwords for different sites. Here are some guidelines for creating a secure password that will be more resilient to attacks.

The first thing is to avoid using a common password. For example, if the word you use for your password can be found in the dictionary, then it is not a strong password. Avoid using the names of your kids, your pet, friends or relatives. Also avoid the name of your favorite team, your anniversary, birthday or any other typical dates. Even if you include a number or character after these names or years, it still is not a strong password. There are programs that hackers use that specifically check these kinds of passwords. So be sure to avoid these common mistakes.

Instead, what you are looking for in a secure password is long one, contains a mix of upper and lower case letters, has symbols, and includes numbers. Also, there cannot be any ties to personal information and dictionary words should be avoided. Instead, try using a phrase or sentence that you will remember. For example, a sentence you might remember could be something like “The first apartment I lived at was 768 Fake Street. Rent was $500 per month.” Now, convert this sentence into a password by using the first letters or digits of every word. The above sentence then becomes, “TfaIlaw768FS.Rw$5pm.” This is a secure password as it is 20 characters long, consists of characters, numbers, and upper and lower case letters. It will also be easy for you to remember because you have attached a phrase to it!

Be sure to keep these tips in mind the next time you have to create a strong password.