The Importance of a Password:

We all know that we need a user name and password to access any service on the Internet or your local computer, but it can be a real hassle.

Although we may hate the hassle of a password, we all probably neglect the importance of a good password.

Did you know that your user name is 50% of your security. That’s right if a hacker knows your user name all they need now is your password, which means that a strong, unbreakable password is the only thing keeping a hacker out of your account.

To protect yourself from a hacker you should probably think like a hacker, but wait you’re probably thinking right now “But I’m not a Computer Genius!”, well that’s ok you don’t have to be a Genius to hack a password.

Here is somethings you shouldn’t use as your password and why:

Family Names: Easy to remember and easy to find, and etc..

Pets Names: Even easier to learn than Family Names and etc..

Names of Places: Many people use a place like their college.

Words in the Dictionary: If they don’t enter every word one by one they have a computer program to do so, this Dictionary hack only takes minutes.

What makes a good password then?

A password should be something that you can remember.

A password should be at least 8 characters in length (8 letters long).

A password should have at least one number.

A password should have a special character like: !@#$%^&*().

Use a combination of Upper case and Lower case letters.

At this point your probably saying that this sounds like a lot to ask for, but it real isn’t when you find a password that is right for you. Most people stick with one or two universal/master passwords which is used for everything.

Tips for simplifying a strong password:

Use a phrase.

Instead of spaces in the phrase use a number.

Example:
the1cat1came1back!

This sample password is perfect for everyone, it contains more than eight characters, has more than one number in the mix, and has a special character at the end. For a computer program to try to break this password it would take over one year 24/7.

Note: Some services/websites do not allow the use of special characters in a password, in this case I recommend substituting the characters with numbers.

Remembering my password:

If you haven’t picked something like a phrase you can easily remember, or the company you work for has a strict security policy this might be for you then.

Did you know most people write their passwords on paper or posted notes, then post the note on the boarder of the computer screen. Some people place the password under the keyboard, others place the password in the desk or under the desk, if this sounds like yourself then you’re probably a security risk.

If your lucky the company allows you to choose or change your own password, then you can use the tips I have given you above. If not then I recommend password protecting your Phone/PDA and placing the password there, but I assume if you’re reading this you don’t know how or own one, so here’s some ways of hiding your password anywhere.

Key Chains: You can buy a key chain that are containers or have paper slips with a cover.

Key Safes: If you want to leave your password in your desk, you can buy a small key safe at Wal-Mart.

PDA/Smart Phone: You can password protect access to these devices while they holed your personal information.

Under Wear: You’re probably a guy if you choose to do this, simply write the password on your under wear.

I hope this helps or was useful,

~
Patcoola

 

 

 

Be the first to write a comment.

---