With so much of our lives now taking place online, keeping your password safe and secure is more important than ever. We all know about the dangers of identity theft and hacking. A breach in one of your online accounts can lead to everything from embarrassment to serious financial loss.
So how does one choose a great password? First, by avoiding anything even remotely autobiographical. Whether it's your pet's name, the city you were born in or the name of the addiction rehab centers your aunt got sent to, anything you have a personal connection to should be avoided.
Also dangerous are those pesky security questions you're asked when resetting your account — a number of prominent examples in recent years have shown how easy they can be to hack. If your email requires you to use them, never answer them literally.
Get Random
Your best bet for maintaining a secure password may be to use a random generator. There are a number of resources than can provide you with a string of meaningless characters that is extremely difficult to hack. Here are some of the best:
- Random.org: The name says it all. This free site uses "atmospheric noise" to generate a password between 6-24 characters long.
- PCTools: A free service offered by the anti-virus pros at Symantec, PCTools gives you a number of useful options for generating random passwords that will meet the requirements of your email provider and other sensitive accounts.
- LastPass: Available for Windows and OSX, LastPass is an easy-to-use password manager with built-in random password generation. The software automatically detects when you are being prompted for a password and offers a number of suggestions for one that is random and un-guessable.
- Siri: Oh Siri, is there anything you can't do? Simply press and hold the Home button on your Siri-enabled device and say "Wolfram Password." You'll automatically get a randomly-generated 8-character password that would take an estimated 229 years to crack.
Other Password Pro Tips
Clearly, a randomly generated password is the way to go if you want to keep your data and personal information safe. But when it comes to network security, that's just the tip of the iceberg. Here are two more tips for smart password use:
- Store your passwords in a secure place. For most people, a random string of numbers and letters will be pretty hard to remember. If you need to write your password down, store it anywhere other than your computer — an encrypted Flash drive is a good choice.
- Don't use the same password twice. If somehow your account does get hacked, limit the damage by making sure none of your other accounts are vulnerable.
Smart password selection is the key to staying safe online. Taking the time and effort to use a random password will help ensure your data stays safe and sound!
About The Author:
Courtney Gordner is a blogger with a passion for all things internet, social media and SEO! Read more from her on her own blog, www.talkviral.com
