SolveYourProblem Article Series: Internet Privacy
Is My Privacy Vulnerable To Attack?

How To Create The Ultimate Password

There are several ways a user can create the ultimate password. When thinking about what kind of password you should choose, consider these few tips to make sure that you create a password that is both secure, and easy to remember.

The biggest problem with passwords is that users tend to forget them. It seems that every site you visit, shop on, or belong to require a password and it can be very difficult to come up with one that is easy for you to remember as well as something that hackers cannot easily figure out.

In an effort to create a password that you can remember, a user will often use something very simple such as their pet’s name, or their child’s birthday, the name of your state, or the current month. Anything that may give them a clue to help them remember what their password is, usually is easy to remember. However, to a hacker who has somehow gained access to your computer system, doing this is the equivalent to locking your door and leaving the key under the doormat. A hacker can find your basic personal information without even resorting to any specialized tools. Information such as your name, address, children’s names, and birthdays, pet’s names and other basic information and try them all as a potential password.

Therefore, there are several rules to follow when selecting this ever-important password that you should follow. The first is to never use personal information as part of your password. It is too easy for someone to guess and although easy to remember, may not be worth risking in the long run.

Instead, try making up a word. There are tools available to help attackers guess your passwords, so with today’s computing power, it does not take a hacker long to try every word in the dictionary and find out which you have used. The best thing to do is to not use a real word for your password.

Another great tip for creating your password is to mix different character types, which will make your password much more secure. Use both uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers and even special characters such as & or #.

One way to make sure it is secure and possibly a great way to remember your password is to use a pass phrase. Rather than trying to remember a random password you have created using various character types, and not a word found in the dictionary, you can use a pass phrase. To come up with one, think up a sentence or a favorite line from a song or poem and then use the first letter of each word to create your password. This makes it safe and secure, as well as easy to remember. For example rather than using a random password like “1gh5ARs”, take a line from your favorite movie like “Luke, I am your Father” and turn it into “LIayF”. You can add other characters and numbers that help you remember or make your password longer. You can also do things like substitute the number “2” for the word “to” and put exclamation points where and “I” should go. This helps you create a password that is not only secure but also easy for you to remember.

Another way to store and remember passwords securely is to use a password management tool. These tools maintain a list of usernames and passwords in an encrypted form. They will also automatically fill in the username and password information on various sites and applications, which is a great way to keep track of all the different passwords you have created.

In addition to creating a secure password, there are other precautions you should take when creating a password that protects your secure information such as always using different usernames and passwords for each login or application you are trying to protect. This way if one gets compromised, the others are still safe. Another way that is less secure, but is more convenient, is to use one username and password for sites and applications that don’t need the extra security, but use unique usernames and more secure passwords on sites such as your bank or credit card companies.

The last tip for creating a great password is to change your passwords that access sites that need security at least every 30 to 60 days. You should not re-use a password for at least a year.

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SolveYourProblem.com : 2008

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