With many high-profile hacking cases in the news lately, from Playstation Network to LulzSec’s high-profile intrusions into Lockheed Martin and The Sun newspaper, the subject of choosing strong passwords is also increasingly in the news. Most Americans choose passwords that are woefully inadequate, leaving them vulnerable to a variety of hacking attempts. Continue reading to learn what makes for a strong password and how you should go about choosing one:
- Change It Up!
Your passwords shouldn’t be all upper or lower case. Change the cases and mix in a number or another special character. Stronger passwords will include at least a lowercase letter, uppercase letter, number, and—when possible—a special character such as @ or ~. Each of these categories of characters adds to the strength of your password. - Computer Generated Passwords
In addition to securely managing your passwords, services such as Last Pass or OnePassword allow you to generate passwords based on a number of selectable criteria. Crafting a 25-character password with uppercase letters and numbers can be difficult—and is harder still to remember. Password management services do this automatically and will help keep you secure. - Don’t Spell It Out
It may surprise you to find out how many passwords to incredibly important sites, such as e-mail and online banking, is “password” or “12345678”. Avoid choosing passwords that are rooted in real words, sequences, or names. These types of passwords are much easier to guess, increasing your vulnerability to hacking attempts.
Choosing a strong password is the first line of defense against malicious hacking attempts. Keep your business secure and choose passwords that maximize your protection.
For more information, contact us today at (520) 622-3731. Anchor Wave is home to Tucson’s Web design specialists. From fresh Web design to SEO services and crafting an online marketing program, we are equipped to help you generate more business.
