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1. Use long phrases or sentences
Hackers have become more sophisticated and inventive in their ability to crack passwords. Some will scour dictionaries and phonetic patterns, while others will attempt thousands of different passwords, often based on information known about the victims like significant dates and interests. To protect yourself, aim to create long passwords that contain sentences or phrases; these are harder to decipher. According to SplashData’s Worst Passwords of 2017 list, nearly all of the top 100 used passwords from last year were seven characters or less. A good rule of thumb is to use passwords that are at least eight characters and even up to 12. “Football” was the ninth most popular password in 2017. Alone, “football” is a weak password, but adding it to a phrase, like “footballismyfavoritesport” makes it stronger. Phrases can also be made more secure by adding numbers and symbols (for example: “[email protected]”).2. Adopt a password manager
Another rule for creating smart passwords is to diversify them across multiple sites. Once a criminal is able to crack one password, he/she is likely to try that same password on other accounts. If your passwords are the same, it is much easier for criminals to access your information. Understandably, it can be difficult to memorize a unique password for each of your devices and accounts. While some people may write them down or store all of their passwords in their smartphone, there is a more secure way to protect and store them. Password security tools like 1Password or LastPass will securely store and encrypt passwords for all accounts under a single master password. Since the master password is the only line of security between hackers and all of your passwords, make it nearly impossible to crack. You will only have to memorize one password; opt to make it long and appear random. For this password, consider using a sequence of random numbers, letters, capitalization and symbols. The sequence can be made into a phonetic phrase to aid memorization, as long as it is not too simple.3. Install multi-factor authentication
Long passwords that include phrases and password security managers are great solutions for advanced password protection, but it is best if people take it one step further. Many accounts and programs will offer multi-factor authentication options. Through this method, users are only granted access to an account after providing two factors of authentication or evidence that they are the correct user. Authentication can include a security question, fingerprint I.D., or additional confirmation from a mobile device. Some programs may provide users the option to reset a forgotten password through the email address linked to the account. Without multi-factor authentication enabled, sometimes all it takes is opening an emailed link. Email addresses are often easy for hackers to acquire, making strong passwords moot if additional security is not added. The majority of accounts and devices offer multi-factor authentication, but many do not provide it by default. To enable it, visit the security settings and turn on the option. While providing additional information to log in can be tedious, multi-factor authentication adds another layer of security to keep your data protected.Image
