Create Secure Passwords

After learning my parents’ passwords last Christmas vacation, I’ve been looking for a good article to forward to them on password creation. TipMonkeys has a great one today.

If you don’t or can’t go check out their version, here’s the “Mal’s Notes” on the subject:

• Choose a password with at least 8 characters.
• Use a combination of different types of characters, including uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols.
• Check your password against a password strength checker.
• These services will look and your password and tell you if they are strong or not. SecurityStats.com has a good one, right here.
• Do not use words found in a dictionary.
• If you were given a default username and password, change it!
• Do not repeat characters or sequences of characters.
• Do not use the same password on every site.
• Encrypt your passwords.
• Create your own password encryption algorithm.
• If you create your own encryption, do not use simple substitution!
• Try a passphrase.
• Do write your passwords down.
• Do not keep your passwords in an easy to access place.
• Never give your password out to anyone.
• If someone is sitting near you or standing behind you, be sure to cover up the keyboard as you type.
• Change your password from time to time.

tags: none

Leave a comment

You must be logged in to post a comment.