How to create a good strong password

Why it is important?

Staying safe online is crucial and one of the most crucial components of staying safe is having a reliable password. It is likely that you will have a password for every account, and if you want to ensure the information related to this account is kept secure, you need to create a good and strong password.

What makes a Good Strong Password??

It is recommended that you have at least two uppercase letters, two lowercase letters and two numbers in the password you create. The longer and more random that the password is, the better. You can even add non-alphanumeric characters like an exclamation mark, a question mark or the at symbol to make it more unlikely that someone would be able to guess your password.

It, therefore, stands to reason that a good password will not contain or based on something that people can guess about you. If you have children, avoid the temptation to use their name as your password or even part of your password. If the person trying to enter your account knows you, this would be a strong starting point in their attempts to guess your password.

Similarly, if you have a strong passion in your life, don’t base your password around this passion. If you have a favorite sports team that everyone knows you support, avoid using the club or significant dates from its history as your password. If you have a favorite film, TV show or book, don’t create a password that draws heavily from this source. No matter how tempting a Harry Potter or Game of Thrones based password is if people know you love these films, shows or books, using them as a password provides them with a starting point in hacking your password.

Why is a strong password so important?

The dangers and risks associated with someone having unauthorised access to your smart devices, computers or accounts are huge. While the loss of data from files and presentations can be damaging for some people and firms, there is information online that can cause considerable damage if it falls into the wrong hands.

Identity theft is a growing people and when people’s personal or financial information is compromised, the consequences can be devastating.

Password mistakes you must avoid

There are some common password mistakes a lot of people make, and you need to avoid these mistakes if you can. Some of the most common password mistakes are:

Do not use a password that someone who knows you would be able to guess
Do not use the same password for every account you have

Do not write your password down anywhere it may be found & compromised
Don’t forget to update your passwords on a regular basis

No matter how many or how few accounts and devices you use, or how much information you think is held online, it is vital that you remain safe and secure. A key component of staying safe online is the use of strong and good passwords, and hopefully, you have a clearer idea of how to create a good password while understanding the importance of staying safe.

How To's

How to create a good strong password and why it is important