Creating a strong password is extremely important in order to protect you and your surroundings. A password should therefore be sufficiently complex and not easily estimatable. But at the same time, it should be chosen in a way that you can remember it without too much effort.
The strength of a password increases by the number of characters that are used, the randomness of letters chosen and its complexity.
Here are some tips to set a strong password:
DOs | DON’Ts |
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By aligning these tips, while creating a password, you can build up your own structure and strategy. One way to do is to think about a phrase that is not related with your personal information, including multiple characters. Then, you can customize that sentence by determining your own rules (for example, taking first letters of each word, changing specific characters with specific numbers like “l” becoming “1”, changing specific words with a specific special character like “at” becoming “@”, creating your own shortcuts in characters, etc.).
For example:
I first went to Disneyland when I was 4 years old will become I1stw2DlwIw4yrs@
My friend Matt ate six doughnuts at the bakery cafe will become MfMa6d@tbc
“One for all and all for one": The Three Musketeers will become 14A&A413Mu$
Which other threats should you consider when it comes to password security?
Even if your password is very strong and follows all of the mentioned recommendation, there are still several risks which you should consider when creating or logging into your accounts:
- Attackers can use software programs to estimate your password with trying several thousands of possible combinations until finding the correct one. Therefore, not using combination of dictionary words, easily guessable characters or personal information is important to make it difficult to estimate passwords quickly.
- Attackers may also follow your actions on a certain website, e.g. they can watch you out while entering your password. Therefore it is recommended to be careful especially when using a computer that you do not trust too much.
- Another possibility how attackers can break your password is by sending you emails asking e.g. for your login information of your bank accounts. You may also receive an email requiring you to open a strange attachment. By clicking on a link, you may also be re-directed to a fake website which is designed similarly to the original one. There you are asked to enter your password.
If you want to secure your private information from others you should therefore always combine a strong password with avoiding the upper mentioned threats if possible.
Why do you need a password at all?
A password is a set of characters that is used to authorize you to access your account. It aims to protect you and your data, e.g. such as your ID, personal photos, address, financial statements, credit cards, investments, etc. In order to keep your data secure and avoid undesirable outcomes, well-chosen passwords are the key to security.