How to Make Sure Your Passwords are Secure

Despite the constant awareness of password security, many continue with less than secure password practices. We live in a day and age where the need for password security is more important than ever. So ask yourself, how strong are your passwords?

Let us start with the basics and once and for all swearing off “123456” or a loved ones name as a possible password option. These are two of the most frequently breached passwords in the world. 

So what can you do to make your passwords more safe and secure?

The greater the length and variety of characters used in a password, the more secure your accounts will be. These characters can include letters, numbers, and unique characters. 

However, despite the variety of your password characters, the length of the password makes a greater impact when it comes to password security. 12+ characters are a safe bet when creating a new password. Try avoiding commonly used words in your password. Words that you could find in a dictionary are some of the easiest to hack. We recommend using a passphrase which is a combination of memorable words or phrases put together. This will be easy for you to remember and is very secure!

When prompted to change your password every few months, don’t fall into the pattern of just adding or changing a number at the end each time; this will only make your password easier for hackers to crack. And maintain a variety of different passwords across all of your accounts. Don’t reuse passwords! If one account is hacked, your other accounts could be potentially be breached.

Every password for every account should be different.

Stray away from the prompt to allow your browser to “remember your password” when signing in. 

Despite the convenience of this option, consider using a password manager instead of trusting your browser to remember for you. Password managers securely store your username and password when you log into a new account so that the next time you log in your information is auto-filled for you, preventing the hassle of remembering every unique password you create. 

We should be doing as much as possible to keep our accounts safe and secure through our password creation.