Ever been hacked before? Was it a strong password? A strong password will keep your personal information safe and protect your files and other contents. It will also prevent anyone else from getting into your account and assuming your identity and resources. A strong password cannot be guessed or cracked using a brute force attack. It does not contain any personal information and is seemingly random but unique to its user. It is easy for you to remember, but difficult for others to guess. Here are some pointers to choosing a stronger password:
1. Longer passwords are stronger passwords
Experts recommend for a password to be at least 12 characters long because long and complex passwords take exponentially longer to crack. It should also contain a random combination of numbers, upper- and lower-case letters and symbols because this will increase the strength of your password exponentially. If your password is protecting sensitive information such as your bank accounts, use a minimum of 12 characters. When it comes to passwords, longer is better.
| Strong password | Weak password |
| mypasswordah@nvrtellu4eva!! | Pas$word123 |
| 3ATall_day@errday!3at3at | HungryDinn3r678 |
| Kwe3n_Iam_theb0mb!#1 | Qwerty12345 |
2. Create password from a sentence.
The human brain is better at remembering unique sentences and catchy song lyrics rather than random letters, numbers and symbols. Pick a meaningful or unique experience and turn it into a password. Even if you feel uninspired, think of a favourite song and start conjuring up a password using the lyrics!
| Phrase | Password |
| We celebrated our 10 year anniversary in Bintan Island | 10yranni@Bintan!^^ |
| I thought that bakery was overrated | B4kery#^orrtd&=( |
| The raccoon ate my homework | !!Rccoo&HW&^#@! |
3. String random but memorable words
Get creative and string random but memorable words available from your personal library. Security experts opined that a three-word nonsensical ‘phrase’ can offer more security than a conventional password. Here are some examples:
| Phrase | Password |
| Cereal, milk, sun, bowl | Milkyc3r34l!Sunnyb0wl# |
| Phone, screen, slave, rest | Scr33nSl4v3%phnrst&^ |
| Van, door, June, fox | F0xy_Junevandoor@5&! |
4. Never recycle your passwords
Especially if they have been hacked before. Always come up with a new password. Even if you the password was secured and used over ten years ago, never recycle your passwords. A study by Trend Micro has found that those under the age of 24 claimed that memorisation was the main issue behind password reuse.
5. Use a password generator
This is the quickest and easiest way to get a strong password if you do not have the time to come up with your own passwords. Make sure you trust the service provider. Keep the generated passwords safe in a password manager; do not write it down or make copies!
6. Do not use one password for multiple accounts
This is the most obvious tip and yet it is most violated. Once one of your accounts are compromised, the other accounts all remain vulnerable as they are secured by the same password. Once hackers have stolen your account information from one account, they will move on to other well-known sites such as social media, online shopping, gaming, banking, donations and so on. Using one password will only allow hackers to hit the jackpot. Never use the same passwords for your own safety.
Do not put off creating a strong password. Data leaks and breaches happen everyday, but with a strong password, you can keep yourself safe online.
