Tips to Create a Secure Password

The following article explains how to set up a strong password for any account you need to log in to. Better passwords will avoid security risks that can arise when using email or website editing programs. The best passwords are entirely random strings of mixed case letters, numbers, and symbols (if supported by the program).

Suggestions for strong passwords:

1. Avoid Personal Information.
   • While it may be easy to remember things like birthdays and anniverseries, or the names of relatives or pets, these are also things that other people may know, and can find out.
2. Avoid entire words.
   • Dictionaries can be used to break passwords, so having a full word in it weakens security.
3. Long passwords are better.
   • Each additional letter makes it exponentially harder to break.
4. Use different passwords.
   • Using the same password for many things increase the chances that it might be compromised, and the number of passwords you need to change when it is.
5. Use different types of characters.
   • Mixing case and character types increases the number of possibilities. Use capital and lower case letters, numbers, and symbols whenever possible.
   • Avoid using names or words with that do this though. P@ssw0rd would not be better than password, both are very weak security.
6. Change your password frequently.
   • The longer you use a password, the greater the risk of compromise.
7. Don't write it down.
   • Then it's only as secure as the location you can find it.

Password management software that is itself protected may be used.