In a recent study, it was found that a large majority of people don’t put any effort into their passwords. The number one occurrence of passwords was “password”. If that is a password you use, I’d seriously consider changing it. Here’s why.
Phishing scams and identity theft can hit anyone at anytime. These thieves can use your email accounts or bank accounts or phone accounts to access your personal life. For example, if a hypothetical thief discovers that your dog’s name is “pinky” then that person could use that info to try to hack into your accounts. They would try simple combinations like “pinky1” or “pinky1234” or “Sandraspinky1” etc…
For a poignant famous example, look no further than Sara Palin when her Yahoo Mail account was hacked.
Scared yet? Good!
Most reputable sites these days have security measures in effect that force you to choose a “strong” password. If they do not, it’s still wise to select your password based on strength. Here’s how:
- Use variations of numbers, letters, and symbols
- Make sure your password is at least 9 digits long
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If you like to use the same password phrase across the board, consider variations that incorporate numbers and symbols that no one would guess
These are basic suggestions. If you want to get more advanced (=more secure) then you should look into leet or other forms of English Language manipulation.
Here’s my immediate idea for a strong password: drO0909!5cz
Use at your own risk! 😉
