Strong Passwords

Are your passwords strong enough? Probably not.

Recently, Gizmodo published a list of the most frequently used passwords of 2018, and unfortunately, things have not changed much since the previous year. Despite the number of data breaches, reports of hacking, and the compromising of personal information that was (and still is) all too frequent, people are still displaying a stubborn willingness to stick with their familiar but very weak passwords. The findings show that the top two passwords from 2018 are as follows:

1. “123456”
2. “password”
3. “123456789” 
4. “12345678”

These passwords are not effective in protecting your accounts! 

The conversation on the most effective method of creating passwords continues to evolve. Some experts claim that length is a key component (a minimum of 25 characters) and that using a “passphrase” is also the best method. While others argue that no matter how long, unique, or random a human generated password is, it will ultimately adhere to patterns that can be snuffed out by expert hackers. Despite the ongoing conversations about password security, there are at least four steps you can take now to better secure your accounts and we’ve listed them below.

1. Use a password manager.
2. Don’t use the same password for more than one account.
3. Instead of a password, use an easy to remember passphrase with shortcut codes, symbols in place of letters and spaces, and acronyms. The more specific and random it is, the more effective.
4. Frequently update and change your passwords (a password manager can make this easy to do). 

While it is impossible to guarantee protection from malevolent actors and technological tools, strong random passphrases can serve as a substantial deterrent that is well worth the minimal effort required to manage them. 

Please contact us if you have any questions.