Why do you need a strong password? How do you create them? How is it even possible to remember that many strong, unique passwords? If these are your questions, read this blog to learn all about passwords and password managers.
Making A Strong Password
Many things we do online now require a password. To prevent yourself from getting hacked or scammed, you need a strong, unique password for all of your accounts. But, what is a strong password? Strong passwords are hard to guess, making it more difficult for potential hackers to access your account. They should include at least:
- 8 characters
- 1 upper case and 1 lower case letter
- 1 number
- 1 special character (examples are @ # * ? “ >)
Avoid using dictionary words, birthdates, and phone numbers. These are too easy to guess. Don’t use the same password for different accounts, and make sure each password is unique.
Including 8 characters with upper case, lower case, numbers, and special characters creates trillions of combinations for a password, making your password difficult to find. In a ‘brute force attack’, computers can try millions of different passwords each second. So, having stronger passwords can help you withstand a brute force attack.
Example of a strong password: &jYiL3aP
Example of a weak password: cat123
Storing Passwords
Remembering or writing down all of these strong passwords can be really tough. So, try a password manager! Password managers keep all of your passwords secure and in one place. You only need to remember one strong password, which lets you see all of your other passwords. Most password managers let you generate strong passwords and copy and paste. They’re usually an app that you can download on your phone and computer, but they can also be a browser extension. This blog post by Gluu Society offers some good options. As always, make sure to do your research on any password managers before entrusting them with all of your passwords.
Other Options
Still not sold on using a password manager? There are other ways to create strong passwords.
Going back to our weak password, cat123, you can upgrade it to a stronger password:
cat123 → ilovecats123 → 1L0veC@ts12#
You can also turn a sentence into a password:
I was born in Toronto but now I live in Burnaby → 1wbiTbn1liB!
You can also use passphrases of random words. For passphrases, though, it’s easy to choose words relevant to your everyday life. Don’t do that! The words should be random.
Panda3-Shopper6-Bronchial
Want to learn more about digital literacy and upgrade your skills online? Check out our page on digital literacy!