The Psychology of a Password
- password - security - protect - information -
- May 29 2016
Most, if not all, of our online information is password-protected, so it’s safe, right? Think again. Many of us fall into the trap of using duplicate or unchanged passwords for multiple accounts, and that makes it easy for hackers to figure out your password.
In fact, according to an Experian study, the average user has 26 password-protected accounts, but only uses five different passwords. Hackers are finding new ways to crack passwords, and according to a report from the consulting firm Deloitte, “a dedicated password-cracking machine with special software and graphics processing units can crack any eight-character password in 5.5 hours.”
But what makes a strong password that these hackers can’t get too? As it turns out, there are some tricks to creating passwords that are safer and stronger.
1. The longer the better. There is not a minimum length that everyone agrees on but the longer the password, the better. Though traditional advice used to say eight characters was safe, many experts now suggest a password of at least 12 characters or more.
2. Mix it up. Mix up numbers, lowercase and uppercase letters, along with special characters and symbols in your password. Sprinkle some random characters throughout it, and don’t use real words or anything that follows your keyboard layout.
3. Avoid easy to guess passwords. Phone numbers, dictionary words, sequential numbers, names, slang words or anything personal should be off the list. Also, don’t use obvious substitutions. For example, don’t replace the letter O with the number 0.
4. Change it. Change it often and keep any security questions that can help you retrieve it up to date as well. Be sure to use different passwords for different accounts, especially those credit card or bank accounts, and don’t just add a letter or two- change it totally. You wouldn’t want a hacker to figure out your Netflix information, and then wind up with access to your bank account.
5. Make it easier to remember. All of these changes and different passwords can be hard to remember so make it a little easier. Spell a word backwards, use a mnemonic phrase and throw in some random letters and symbols. For example: My dog’s name is Sparky, he loves to jump, and he is 5 years old becomes ‘mdniShl2^&hi5Yo.’
6. Use a password generator, or even better, a password manager. Password generators will generate random passwords for you, while password managers, vaults, and safes can keep them all in one place. A password manager encrypts and stores your passwords, and you can access them with one, hopefully strong, master password. There are free and paid password managers, and many offer a free trial so you can see which one works for you.
Your information is valuable to you, and others. Try some of these tips and stay one step ahead of those who want to get it.