Passwords: Your Dog’s Name Or Your Home Address Are Not Good Passwords

(Before It's News)

Passwords are the first thing you enter when you use your computer or mobile device. It’s also one of the first lines of defense against hackers or unauthorized access to your data.

However, it’s also one of those things we don’t pay enough attention to. Here’s a few tips from Siber Systems, many you probably already know, to help remind you to have GOOD and SECURE passwords:

1. Create passwords that are difficult for anyone to guess, including friends, family and hackers. Avoid passwords that relate on a personal level, instead use upper and lower case letters, random symbols, and do not use any word found in the dictionary. One trick is to choose the first letters of each word from a random phrase such as “I like to eat pineapple daily”,  to get “iLtEPd”, with the addition of a symbol and number for added measure. Also change passwords every 30 days.

2. Do not utilize default passwords such as “1234” that were provided automatically or by system administrators. Using such a password means someone else or a system has a record of the current password, making it unsecure. Change defaults immediately to a memorable and random password.

3. Writing down passwords is an especially troublesome habit. Pieces of paper provide others with a simple way to capture and exploit passwords. Use a secure tool to manage various passwords, or take parts of a unique and memorable phrase to create a password.

4. Avoid duplication at all costs. Using the same or very similar passwords (Charles10 and Charles17 for example) across multiple logins exposes individuals and entire enterprises to significant risk. Be sure to use different passwords for every login.

5. Utilize technology tools to make password management and selection easier. RoboForm (www.roboform.com) securely stores passwords on computers, mobile devices such as iPhones and Android phones, as well as USB drives.

Ramon Ray, Editor & Technology Evangelist, Smallbiztechnology.com
http://www.twitter.com/ramonray | http://www.facebook.com/smallbiztechnology
[email protected]

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