The Importance of Using Strong Passwords

The use of strong passwords can slow or often defeat the various attack methods of compromising a terminal’s security.
Keeping a website and server safe from attackers can be an exhausting job. Unfortunately, one area that web hosting users often overlook is password security. A website is much easier to hack if the password is weak, and far too many web users rely on weak passwords for critical data. The following five tips should help you keep your passwords secure.

Password Qualities:

Here are some things I think about when creating a password:
A good password is:
7 or more characters long.
Not easy to spot while typing, such as “asdfjkl;”, and can be typed quickly (keep an eye out for those over-the-shoulder snoopers).
A combination of upper and lower case letters, as well as numbers, punctuation marks, and symbols.
Know your weaknesses – Potential attackers already do. They know to look for passwords containing only letters or numbers, names of spouses, children or friends, simple dictionary words, and double letters or numbers.

Memorize a Complex Password:

You probably use a simple password because it is easy to remember, but you are not giving yourself enough credit. You know entire songs, your social security number, dozens of phone numbers, and probably a truck load of useless trivia. You can memorize a few passwords, even if they are complex.

Use a Password Generator:

Find a good password generator and use it to create a complex password that mixes letters, numbers, case, and does not rely on dictionary words.

Change your password often:

Even if someone does manage to eventually crack your complex password, it will not matter because you have already changed it. Right? Change your password often, and keep changing it on a regular rotation, several times a year.

Use Any Means Necessary:

If you need to safeguard something particularly sensitive, do not hesitate to pull out all the stops to protect it. That may involve using an encrypted key instead of a regular password or even making use of an encrypted VPN. Do whatever you have to do to keep your data safe.

Once you get in the habit of making good passwords, it will not be something laborious. It will be as normal as any of the other routines you do throughout the year.