Every year, a list of the most common passwords is released by Los Gatos, California, company SplashData. Its most recent list compiled 2013’s most commonly used passwords, revealing that despite the numerous warnings, there are still people out there who have no clue when it comes to the basics of Internet security. These days, with everything we do online, taking steps to ensure tight online security is a must if you hope to avoid having your passwords compromised, losing important documents, becoming a victim of fraud, or worse. If you’re using any one of these top passwords, it’s time to get with the program and learn how to create something that’s more secure. Sequential Numbers 123456, 123456789, 0987654321, 1111111, 123123 — the easiest way to get yourself hacked is to use a number sequence like this. Experts say that hackers can decode a digit series in as little as three seconds. It’s okay to use some numbers, but is important to combine them with letters as well as characters, such as “Ford42Classic!” Sequential Letters and Numbers abc123 — while this does use a combination of letters and numbers, it’s also something that the average three-year-old could figure out. Any type of sequence is a bad idea. If you’d like to use three letters and three digits, consider something random and throw in a character, like “xuy?954,” just don’t use that one, now that it’s out there for everyone to see. The Actual Word “Password” Really? The password “password” makes you much more susceptible to brute-force attacks, which is when hackers attempt to access accounts through rapid guessing. When encrypted passwords are stolen, the weaker they are, the quicker they fall into the wrong hands. Common Phrases iloveyou, letmein — these common phrase, even when you think they’re clever, leave your important data is exposed. You’re better off using a random phrase with variance in upper and lowercase letters.Keep in mind, the stranger the better when it comes to passwords. Come up with something no one else has. Something like “Ihavedeipnophobia,” which simply means “I have a morbid fear of dinner parties,” would be significantly more secure. Generic Computer-Speak admin, photoshop, qwerty — these passwords is extremely common, likely because the user hasn’t bothered to change it from the default setting, or because they’re the first things that pop into your head when it asks for a password . Not surprisingly, these are also some of the easiest to guess. If you’re still using any of these, change them immediately. Try to strive for uncommon. Your password doesn’t have to be a real word, but it shouldn’t be something that everyone else is using. When you create a password, it’s important to remember that the most secure are made up of a combination or letters and numbers, with random punctuation throughout. Microsoft gives other tips for creating strong passwords. Because passwords can never be totally immune from hackers, change them frequently and don’t share them with others. Buy Cheapest Related Product From Amazon The post abc123: Change your Password! appeared first on The Tech Journal - Technological News Portal. Staff Writer The Tech Journal
Posted on: Thu, 27 Nov 2014 03:28:37 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015