Choosing a Strong Password

Why you need a strong password:

• Hackers hack to hack. There does not need to be a personal reason to attack a site.
• Hackers have tools to crack passwords including:
  1. Programs that rapidly try thousands of passwords at high speeds.
  2. Check dictionary words in all languages
  3. Add numbers to dictionary words
  4. Check common passwords, i.e. ‘password’, ‘12345’, etc.
  5. Guessing common number replacements for letters, i.e. 3 for E

How to create a strong password:

• Use uppercase & lowercase letters, numbers, AND symbols
• Use AT LEAST 8 characters
• DO NOT use personal information, including:
  • first name
  • last name
  • name of parents, children, spouse, pets, etc.
  • birthday
  • social security number
  • address
  • phone number
  • Use a password manager to create strong random passwords and remember them for you.
    • Keypass, LastPass, 1Password (commercial)
  • Use a PassPhrase
  • Use a Sentence
    • My dog Pepper was born on January 12th, 2010
    • MdPwbo112,2010
    • The grocery store is at 29 Pine St. and Grove Ave.
    • Tgsi@29PSt.&GA.
    • I usually go to bed at 11pm!
    • Iug2b@11pm!
  • Names and ages of children
    • Jacob, Rachel, Homer, Alice
    • Ja7*Ra4_Ho12Al8
  • Lines from songs, poems, books, etc.
    • And she’s buying a stairway to heaven…: &sbas2H…
    • Add extra characters (Tip: Use less common punctuation marks, like semicolons, parentheses, and brackets.)

_{November 2012 Newsletter}