How do I Make a Strong Password?

The following article will give guidelines on how to make a stronger, more secure password.

Make it long : The longer your password, the more protected it is.  Your password should be at least 8 characters long.  12 or longer is ideal, as long as you can remember it.

Spaces are often supported in passwords, so one option is to create a phrase as a password.  Phrases can be easy to remember even when they are long, and hard to guess.

Combine letters, numbers and symbols : The more variety you have in your password, the stronger it is.  With letters, you can also vary whether it is lower case or upper case.

If you cannot use symbols, make your password longer than usual.  If you can use symbols, using symbols that require holding down the “Shiftâ€Â key, or using punctuation marks other than those on the upper row of your keyboard, strengthens your password.

Of course, try to create phrases that are easy for you to remember but difficult for others to guess.

If you can't remember your password in your head, write it down.  Keeping your password in any electronic form, whether in a password manager, website, or other software-based storage tool, is easier to compromise.  Be careful, though, about where you keep your written passwords – in a notepad next to the computer is not the safest place.  Note, though, that there is much debate about what is safer - writing down passwords physically or keeping them in an electronic system.  The safest option is, of course, being able to remember your password.  If you can't do this, take extra precaution in whatever way you choose to store your passwords.

Avoid:

Using sequences or repeated characters, such as "123456", "555555", "abcdefg"  or  "aasdfghj".  

Using your login name as your password.  Also, avoid using any part of your personal information, such as your name, birthday, social security number, phone number, etc. or similar information of loved ones.  This is the first thing criminals will try.

Using the same password for all of your accounts.  If even one account is compromised, all of your other information is compromised as well if you use the same password everywhere.

Using an online storage system for your passwords.  If a criminal finds this, they have access to all of your information.

Using words that can be found in the dictionary.

Any of the above in reverse sequence.

Any of the above with a number in the front or back.

A blank password.
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