No matter you are an individual or a company dealing with several pieces of important data, the dire need to create hundreds of secure passwords is becoming all the more important.
In the last few years, there have been many password ruses that have been conceived, such as using a formula or mixing up memorable words. Nevertheless, cyber thieves are getting astute and they have created a whole host of super fast tools to crack our password codes. According to a report, 85% of breaches are caused by weak or reused passwords. Therefore, the significance of never reusing passwords cannot be emphasized, as doing so creates a grave leak in your data security when online.
So, how can you create a password that is hard to crack and easy to remember?
Table of Contents
How Do Hackers Crack Passwords?
Offline password-guessing attacks are typically used by hackers to guess your passwords. Their first core objective is to turn the encoded file into unencrypted passwords. Nowadays, hackers can easily access password cracking software. If the hacker has a powerful apparatus, they can test loads of passwords per second until they conjecture the correct one. In fact, there is presently a piece of software that can try a whopping 8 million tries per second. Initially this type of technology was only available to government organizations, like the law-enforcement agencies, but now hackers can freely access them to run this sort of hackathon for days or weeks on many machines.
1.) Avoid Easy-To-Crack Passwords:
It’s a surprising fact that a number of people tend to use passwords that are easily decipherable. Passwords like TamPET or PASSWORD are a hacker’s dream, making it easier for them to access your account in no time. Another common error is using personal information within passwords, such as using your name, or family name within your password. Alarmingly, people tend to use their spouses’ or relatives’ names and birthdays within their passwords. Which makes it a lot easier for a hacker to find this information out within a matter of seconds.
2.) Never Use Familiar Passwords
Cryptic familiarity with your passwords is detrimental as it can be easy for hackers to crack. With over 65% of the people using social media, it’s quite easy for hackers to find personal information about you. If you can generate a password that’s not easy to crack but simple for you to remember, you’ve made it. Something like “I don’t like to eat junk food” can be scrambled into IDlTeJF. That might look puzzling, but it’s a phrase you’ll easily remember and would be nearly impossible for a hacker to crack.
3.) Avoid Using Obvious Dates
Never use birthdays or obvious dates that a hacker could easily access. Skim through your personal information that’s publicly available, such as social media, blogs, etc. and shun any dates that you may have stated or posted about on these accounts. Instead, think a little more out of the box. Maybe you could remember a date when you went on your first trip, stayed in your first hotel, first went playing golf, etc. This kind of information is much more difficult to conjecture, but should still be easy for you to recall.
4.) Change Your Password
Although changing passwords regularly may seem frustrating, it will keep you secure. Several organizations have built-in software that requires you to change your password every one month or so. The reason for this is to make sure that account remains safe and secure. It’s difficult to remember the passwords you already have, but if you use the methods mentioned above, you can ensure that you remember your password. Changing it regularly then would not see to be a Herculean task.
5.) Use A Password Manager
It’s worth considering a password manager if you have several passwords to remember and you think you are not able to manage them. All you’ll need is a very strong password to recall, which ought to be the last time you’ll need to remember one! There are lots of password managers available, and many of them come with apps for numerous plans and platforms, as well as web browsers. This means you can access passwords from all your devices in an easy-to-reach place.
6.) Be Watchful About Where You Store Your Passwords
Avoid storing your passwords in a location that is easily accessible. It’s alluring to jot all your passwords down, or even save them under a contact in your phone. But, if you do this, get ready to be hacked. Storing passwords on your computer is one of the worst things you can do. Therefore, it’s essential to be watchful about your password storage, if you’re going to store passwords.
Conclusion:
If you are in any way worried about your data safety when online, then the aforementioned methods might come in handy when it comes to producing and handling safe, unforgettable passwords. Businesses often have to handle passwords for clients that get recalled in the cookie settings or that need to be safely stored.
About the Author:Madelyn Gomes is an enthusiastic tech-geek! I have been writing on a range of technical topics. I have long experience and career in content writing and copywriting with particular interest in digital marketing. Visit My Cyber Security blog.
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