Password Security And Picking A Secure Password

Picking a password is one of those things that absolutely everyone must do at some point, though many passwords are not very secure due to decisions in selection and upkeep. Whether the password is for a social networking website, an online vendor, or simply just your email, all of your passwords should be kept as securely as possible as a way to protect your assets and your identity.

Listed below are some pointers that can help be certain that your passwords are secure:

* The ideal password size is between ten and fifteen characters long. This really is generally short enough for you to remember but long enough to discourage a brute force attack (a simple type of a password cracking attempt).

* Avoid passwords which are very easily guessed due to their association with you. Your name and the names of anyone in your family, for example, can be very simple passwords to crack. Additional easily guessed passwords include names of family pets or important dates such as anniversaries and birthdays.

* Also avoid using any passwords that are exact words that can be found in the dictionary. There are a great deal of programs that try to use every word in the dictionary as a password. These types of programs also in many cases try to add random numbers to a given word (such as turning "kitty" into "kitty2") or to spell words backwards, so all those possibilities should not be used as passwords.

* The strongest passwords are usually alphanumeric combinations (sequences of numbers and letters) which aren't composed of actual words but instead are made of syllables that you can very easily remember mixed with numbers. Using a mixture of capital and lowercase letters will also help ensure a secure password. Ideally, this mix is also pronounceable, rather than a random string of letters and numbers, as the pronounceable password will likely be easier for you to remember. For example, a password such as "vgie38hA" is very secure but not very memorable, while "Soe6bam" can be repeated to yourself out loud and therefore remembered much more easily.

* Passwords which contain obvious sequences can take slightly more time to crack, however they are by no means secure. "123456" or "abcdefg" are easily recognizable patterns that will almost certainly be attempted by absolutely everyone trying to guess your password, as are patterns based on keyboard layout like "qwerty" or "zaq1xsw2" (analyze the left side of your keyboard for the latter example).

* Use a different password for every occasion. Choosing to use the same password for everything is regrettably common and very dangerous. After the password is known to work for one use, it will be tried for all other applications. Using a different password every time prevents the loss of all security in the case that one password is compromised.

* Change your passwords frequently. The longer you keep the exact same password, the bigger the chance that it can be compromised. Changing your passwords every six months or so will help to make sure that the passwords are secure even if they've already been discovered and simply never used.

* You may need to write your password down in the event you are unable to remember it. If this would be the case, don't leave the written copy of your password anywhere that's immediately obvious such as your desk or your wallet. One option is to lock it up somewhere (such as a filing cabinet, lock-box, or other secure container) for that you have the only key. Another possible method is to write the password down on the edge of a page in a favorite book - avoid writing it down on a bookmark placed in a book, however, are these are easy for you to lose and for an intruder to find.

* Never give your password to anyone. The best password is one which you, and only you, know. No one else needs to know you password - not your spouse, your family, your friends, or your co-workers. Your system administrator doesn't need to know your password, since that person need to be able to reset your password in case of emergency anyway.

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