How to Choose a Secure Password

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Published on Wednesday, 06 June 2012 20:40

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Tips to Choosing a Secure Computer or Website Password

Many people choose to use the easiest method to remember their computer passwords.  If I use the same password, and I make it short and familiar, I won't forget it.  What they may not realize, is their laziness may be exposing their personal information and accounts to hackers and identity theft.

While choosing a password you can easily remember seems like a good idea, sometimes making your password simple to remember can increase your risk of being hacked or cracked.  Geeks Anywhere recommends following these guidelines to protect your files and help you ensure your password is secure.

Keep Them Guessing with Characters

• Use at least 1 upper case letter
• Use at least 1 lower case letter
• Use at least 1 number
• Use a special character or symbol such as:  ! @ $ % ^ & * ( )
• Use at least 6-10 characters
• Avoid repeating letters or numbers consecutively:  WILLIAM

Avoid Commonly Used Passwords

• Don't use the word password, as your password
• Avoid using words you found in the dictionary, especially if you don't add anything else to them
• Avoid personal information: first or last name, social security number, phone numbers

Keep Your Passwords Unique

Following the guidelines listed above will help you create a secure password, but they need to remain unique and possibly avoid anything personal to you.  Brute force attacks will try to crack your password using commonly used lists, dictionary terms and random numbers.  By forcing them to work harder to break your password, you increase your security and reduce your risks that your passwords will be cracked.

Article written by Taylor Clark of myRise Design.  Taylor is a professional web designer and internet marketing expert who absolutely loves blogging!  He spends most of his free time developing new marketing strategies and working with clients to develop their brand or business online.  If you're interested in improving your business exposure online, check out his website at www.myRiseDesign.net