Good passwords are not just any password that is long that has uppercase letters, lowercase letters, numbers and symbols. It should mean something to you but appear non-sensical to others. Ideally it is a string of characters that, if shown to another person for a couple seconds, would be nearly impossible for them to recall.
Tips for creating long, strong passwords
Do
- Use a phrase with shortcuts, acronyms, or strings
- 4Score&7yrsAgo four score and seven years ago - from the Gettysburg Address
- 14A&A41dumaS one for all and all for 1 - from The Three Musketeers, by Dumas
- Goatpotatolakebuspants - words that don't mean anything together in a string
- Use passwords with common elements
- ABT2_uz_AMZ! - About to use Amazon
- Pwrd4Acct-Fb - password for a Facebook account
Don't
- Use common dictionary words: Password cracking programs use dictionary lists to easily guess words in a password.
- Make it too personal: If you put information on social media that you use in your password, a hacker will find it.
- Make it too easy: A password like B@seba11is actually easy to guess. It’s too short and uses a dictionary word with common substitutions.
- Make it long, but not strong: A password like House12345678 is never a good password.
- Use a common pattern: Patterns like House1, House1234, or !House! are patterns hackers look for.
Keep your online accounts safe
Keep your passwords on the down-low: Don’t write down your passwords and don’t share them with anyone.
Use a Password Manager: The simplest way to create, remember and use strong passwords is with a password manager.
Unique account, unique password: Make sure all your accounts have unique passwords to protect you in the event of a breach.
Double your login protection: Enable multi-factor authentication (MFA) to ensure that the only person who has access to your account is you.