Choosing A Good Password
Choosing a good password is as simple as not choosing a word that might appear in a dictionary. Hackers have lists of dictionary terms and can literally run a program for days, even weeks that will try each and every one until it gains access. Another good tip is to choose something with at least 8 characters. The longer the password, the harder it is to crack; especially if it’s a good combination of letters and numbers.
1. Don’t use the same password for multiple site logins. If one is compromised, then all your accounts are compromised.
2. Change your passwords regularly. At least twice a year and perhaps even more often for especially sensitive materials.
3. Don’t stick with default passwords. This is especially true for any you are given for online accounts or hardware such as routers. Changes these ASAP.
4. Never write down your passwords unless they’re stored in a very secure location. By secure, we don’t mean on a post-it note on your monitor, like many folks tend to do.
5. Never share your passwords with anyone. Ever. The only exception to this is probably your boss, system administrators and security staff at work. Even then, you should verify if they really need it and what for. Some hackers will try to trick you out of your passwords by calling you up under the guise of a system administrator, Internet Service Provider or any other place you have an account. This is called phishing. No reputable service will ever ask you for your password over the phone and especially through e-mail. They should have access to your account on their main systems.
