Creating passwords has become a second nature to us all with the high use of technology in our everyday lives, we seldom ever put much thought into how secure it is until faced with a hacked account. Hackers are out there and whether you’re a big time business owner or working an entry-level job, your status doesn’t exactly make you more or less likely a victim. All it takes is someone obtaining your information. Are you one to skim through the password recommendations and settle for the first eight letter word to come to mind? If so, you may want to reconsider how you go about creating your passwords. It’s quite easy to make a hack resistant password. Here are five steps anyone can follow to ensure a secure account.
1.) Combination of characters: Take advantage of your random side. Majority of passwords are case-sensitive, so throwing in both uppercase and lowercase letters is a great starting defense against anyone trying to invade your account. Strong usage of numbers, symbols, and spaces create more of an in-depth guessing game as well.
2.) Refrain from repetitive use: Providing the same code for all of your accounts makes life easier since you don’t have to memorize multiple passwords, right? Try again. If a hacker manages to figure out this very password for one account, who’s to say they wouldn’t be tempted to get into others? You can protect every account you own by establishing different passwords for each one.
3.) Length is key: Most accounts have an eight character criteria, but you should aim for something longer. The thing is shorter passwords are simple to figure out opposed to longer ones which add more room for complexity.
4.) Make no relation to your name, company, or username: The first thing these people will do is find a way to relate your password to your information because many people find it easier to remember if it’s relevant to the purpose of the account. Details like your name, company name, and username are go-to aspects for every hacker.
5.) Don’t use complete words: If you can’t use personal information, it’s tempting to settle for the next personal thing– using something a sentimental value. Whether it be a hobby, favorite band, or something important to you, never just spell it out. Abbreviation, acronyms, and misspellings make it a lot harder for someone to get into your account.
As you can see, you don’t have to go to great lengths in order to protect yourself, your information, and your privacy. All you have to do is be smart and get creative!