Facial ID and fingerprint recognition have become more popular when it comes to securing devices. Strong passwords play a critical role as a first line of defence against cybercriminals and safeguarding our digital lives.
It’s baffling how often we need to reset our passwords since most of us have more logins and passwords than we can possibly remember. Having different passwords for each of our accounts containing an uppercase letter, lowercase letter, a number and symbol is just too difficult to remember – this can lead us to unsafe password practices such as short, simple and familiar passwords.
1. Choose a long string of characters
When it comes to creating a password, length and complexity is essential when keeping your personal data safe. Combining a variety of words and characters in your password makes it difficult for hackers to guess.
Tips:
- Choose a password that is at least 12 letters long and uses a combination of uppercase letters, lowercase letters, numbers and symbols
- Substitute letters with symbols to make the password harder to guess ex: A with @
2. Don’t use personal details
Finding people’s personal details online is easy to do, it can be easily accessible on social media platforms or even your online work profile. Passwords including personal information such as your name, birthdate or address makes it easy for hackers to guess.
Tips:
- Make your password a phrase rather than a word and substitute letters for special characters
- When setting up security questions, always use answers that are not easily found online or that are hard to guess
3. Keep a unique password for each account
Once you’ve created your password, you may be tempted to use it for all your accounts – don’t do it! If the hacker discovers your password, this leaves you vulnerable to multiple attacks.
Tips:
- Using a password generator is a quick and easy way to get a strong and unique password
- NordPass can help you create unique, random and impossible to guess passwords and passphrases
4. Avoid recycling passwords
This may seem like a no brainer, but never reuse your password, especially if it has previously been hacked. Even if it is a password that hasn’t been used in years, best password practices are to come up with a new one.
Tips:
- Use unique passwords for each account
- If a website warns you of having your details being exposed or compromised, change your password immediately
5. Use a password manager
Don’t store your passwords in a document on your computer, instead use a Password manager. These are software programs that can help you generate, store and manage all your passwords in a safe online account.
Tips:
- Be sure that your password manager uses two-factor authentication. Anyone trying to login to your account will need to enter a second piece of information after the correct password
- Some trustworthy and reliable two-factor authentication apps are Google Authenticator, Microsoft Authenticator, and Authy
Your password grants access into your personal digital world. It is important to follow best practices when creating uncrackable passwords to protect your accounts against cybercriminals.
For more tips and tricks on how to secure your devices, check out our Netsweeper Blog page, follow us on LinkedIn and subscribe to our monthly newsletter!