Are you looking to create a strong password that even hackers can't crack? Use longer passwords and passphrases to protect your sensitive data and prevent cybercriminals from gaining access.
You have passwords to protect your personal kingdom, so you might be wondering, 'which are the best practices' for coming up with a strong password to avoid cyber-attacks.
Although it may seem like a daunting task coming up with an uncrackable password, it's the best solution to protect your accounts from unauthorized access.
If you are looking to become online secure, having strong passwords is the secret. Otherwise, if you keep weak passwords, your data will always remain compromised. And losing confidential information about yourself or your company is the last thing you would wish for. The good news is that after reading this article, you'll be well-informed about creating strong passwords.
Importance of creating strong passwords
Strong passwords are the core barrier that keeps all your online accounts safe from hackers. Therefore, you need to stay up-to-date with the best practices to avoid passwords that can be easily guessed by cybercriminals. Exposing yourself to extortion and identity theft is the last thing you should risk. That's why it's crucial to create strong passwords, capable of fighting the latest password theft techniques.
Having weak credentials for your online accounts can be a dream for cyberfrauds. But since this is your worst nightmare, you must take precautionary steps to avoid being hacked.
Common password security threats
Before we even jump right into knowing how to create unique and strong passwords, you should know how hackers can get into your account. Here are some of the methods that they commonly use:
Phishing: This comes in the form of a scam, where you're asked to give the hacker valuable info or money. They pretend to be trustworthy and credible, normally as a trusted firm, or somebody you know. A phishing scammer may text, call, email, or message you on social media, so be alert.
Dictionary attack: This method allows hackers to use a program that combines dictionary words. Dictionary attack tries any possibility with a higher likelihood of succeeding. It also relies on a few psychology key factors. For instance, the method allows hackers to mimic common patterns since most users make passwords that are easy to remember.
Brute force attack: The most convenient method that hackers can perform. Even inexperienced hackers can nail this technique, and that's why it's the most popular. Brute force attack allows hackers to use an automated computer program to login into your account using all potential password combinations. Unlike the dictionary attack that can handle long passwords, brute force can only hack short-form passwords.
Keylogger attack: In this method, hackers install a program on a user's endpoints to track all keystrokes. So, if you type your username and passwords, the hacker can record them without your consent.
Existing data breaches: Hackers take advantage of the already exposed passwords and sensitive information for their gain. Many companies get hacked for reusing old passwords, which might have been compromised. The worst thing one can ever do is to reuse an old password for outdated accounts; it’s just a bad idea.
Tips to help you create a strong password
You need powerful passwords to avoid and protect yourself from modern hacking methods. The following hints will be of great help to create a strong password:
Make longer passwords: Hackers try all possible methods to gain access into your account, so the longer the password, the harder it gets for them to access it. Consider trying over 10-12 character password, or even longer if possible. Cracking a longer password takes a longer time to process compared to a shorter one. Most hackers don't have all that time.
Have a combination of all characters: This means you can include lowercase, uppercase, numbers, and symbols. Different types of characters or random mixes make your password unpredictable. For instance, you can substitute letter A with @, and letter o with zero.
Avoid using obvious personal data: Avoid easily discoverable info pke address, date of birth, pet names, relatives, high school, and anniversary dates. Including them in your password is a great risk because they are easy to guess. Having that in mind, whenever you are asked to select a security question and answer while creating an onpne account, don't choose the obvious one.
Never recycle an old password: Ensure that you use unique passwords for everything you do onpne. In case your accounts are compromised but still use the same passwords you used to log in, hackers can get in without difficulty. Once an account has been compromised passwords and addresses are usually leaked onpne, hence getting into wrongful hands.
Use passphrases with unpredictable words: The most secure way is creating a password using uncommon word combinations. You can also consider rearranging common words to make them appear odd and unrelated. With this practice, you'll be able to avoid dictionary attacks.
Make it hard to guess: It's pretty simple! Avoid sequences pke "123456" because you'll be vulnerable to brute force attacks, which can be done in seconds. Besides, common words pke "password123" should be avoided.
An excellent example of a strong password is: DylHr?IErFoNnDi!
It is considered strong because:
- It begins with a passphrase, "Do you like her? Invite her for dinner!"
- It is long with 16 characters.
- Has a mixture of symbols, lowercase and uppercase letters.
You can also make it better by adding numbers like this: DylHr?IErFoNnDi!5
Last, you can easily use a password manager to create a safe password.
How to remember passwords
If you have several unique passwords, you should be careful with how you store them. To stay safe, avoid the following:
- Writing down passwords on a piece of paper.
- AutoSaving passwords through your browser saver.
- Saving passwords in your mobile's notes app.
Conclusion
The best way to protect yourself from cybercriminals is by using complex passwords that are hard to crack. It is important to remember that hackers are always looking for things that are convenient to you, and passwords are one of them. Secure your accounts and sensitive information with passwords that are difficult to predict.