Passwords: Words That Pass The Test

The start of a new year is a perfect reminder to update your passwords for your different accounts, systems and applications. It is recommended that you change your passwords every 3-6 months. Passwords are needed for almost everything online from banking and email to social networks. It is important to create a strong password to prevent your information from be compromised. Here are few tips to remember when creating your new password.

Do

• Use at least 8-14 characters – the longer the better
• Create  passwords that are easy to remember
• Use characters from entire keyboard including punctuation and symbols
• Create different passwords for your varied applications and accounts
• Change password regularly

Don’t

• Use identifiable or personal information (actual name or birthday)
• Share it with anyone
• Use common or dictionary words
• Use alphabetical or numeric sequences

Below is a guideline to create an unique password from Microsoft Online Safety.

What to do	Suggestion	Example
Start with a sentence or two (about 10 words total).	Think of something meaningful to you.	Long and complex passwords are safest. I keep mine secret. (10 words)
Turn your sentences into a row of letters.	Use the first letter of each word.	lacpasikms (10 characters)
Add complexity.	Make only the letters in the first half of the alphabet uppercase.	lACpAsIKMs (10 characters)
Add length with numbers.	Put two numbers that are meaningful to you between the two sentences.	lACpAs56IKMs (12 characters)
Add length with punctuation.	Put a punctuation mark at the   beginning.	?lACpAs56IKMs (13 characters)
Add length with symbols.	Put a symbol at the end.	?lACpAs56IKMs” (14 characters)

Once you have created your password you can test it with an online checker like Password Meter. It is  a handy little tool that will score the strength of your password. You can adjust your password accordingly until you get your desired score.

If you find creating your own password overwhelming you can also refer to websites like Random.org or Strong Password Generator. They will automatically create a new password for you.

How often do you change your passwords?

Chart: Microsoft Online Safety- Create Strong Passwords