Taking Your Password to the Next Level

Passwords represent one of the most important and most misused forms of security. We say misused because even in a world where everyone is concerned about getting hacked, people still create weak, easy-to-crack passwords.

An easy way to level up your password is through the use of a passphrase. A passphrase should be something that is easy for you to remember but hard for others to guess. Such as an obscure song lyric or something specific that is a favorite of yours. When creating a passphrase, avoid commonly used phrases and personal information like the name of your pet. Here is an example:

Passphrase that means something to you: “Milan and Berlin were my favorite cities for the holidays of 1990.”
Converted into sample password: MilanBerlinFavoriteHolidays1990!

Here are a few more tips to strengthen your passwords which in turn keeps your information protected.

• Use at least sixteen characters. The longer your password is, the better it will be.
• Avoid using personal information, such as your name or the names or birth dates of your children or pets.
• Avoid using national ID numbers and telephone numbers.
• Avoid sequential letters or numbers on your keyboard (e.g., qwerty, asdf, or 12345).
• Avoid using any variation of the word ‘password,’ such as passw0rd!.