Identity Theft – sends shivers down most spines. Did you know that using the wrong password could make it easier for hackers to steal your identity. Hackers are the bad guys who use your computer and/or online accounts to steal from you. A recent study revealed that in 32 million instances of successful hacking, the following passwords were used. First take a look at these top 10 worst passwords, then keep reading to find out how to make smarter passwords. Just like in home security, if the target is too difficult, the thieves will move on to the next one. Make yours harder to break into than your neighbors.
- 123456
- 12345
- 123456789
- Password
- iloveyou
- princess
- rockyou
- 1234567
- 12345678
- abc123
Hopefully you didn’t find your password anywhere in that list. If you did, let’s get it changed immediately! First a few rules for strong passwords: 1) make it at least 8 characters (the longer the better), 2) use characters other than alpha-numeric (include some symbols like *%$), 3) don’t use any variation of your name, or any common or slang words that can be found in a dictionary, 4) use a combination of upper and lowercase letters and numbers. The key is to make it easy for you to remember, but virtually impossible for anyone to guess. Follow these steps:
- Think of a sentence that means something to you but that no one would be able to guess.
- Take the first letter of each word from that sentence.
- Mix up the the cases (lower & upper) of the letters.
- Substitute numbers or symbols for some of the letters.
- When you enter the password, don’t try to remember the actual characters, read the sentence back in your head.
Here’s an example, but do not use this since it is a common sentence:
- Twas the night before Christmas and all through the house
- ttnbcaatth
- Ttnb4x&@tT^
Good Luck! If you have any questions, contact our office for assistance.
