Passwords are an essential part of our digital lives. We use them to access everything from our email accounts to our online banking. But many people still don’t take password security seriously enough. Weak passwords leave accounts vulnerable to hackers, who can steal personal information or even money. Creating strong passwords takes a little time and effort, but is one of the most important things you can do to protect yourself online.
Use longer passwords
One of the most basic things you can do to strengthen your passwords is to simply make them longer. The more characters your password contains, the harder it will be for hackers to crack through brute force attacks. Consider using passphrases instead of single words. For example, “correcthorsebatterystaple” is much stronger than “password123”. Aim for at least 12-14 characters if possible.
Avoid common words and patterns
When creating a password, avoid using common dictionary words like “password” or sequences like “123456”. These are among the first things hackers will try when attempting to break into accounts. Also avoid using personal information like your name, birthday, or pet’s name. This information is often easy to find through social media or public records. The more unique and random your password, the better.
Use a mix of character types
Using a mix of lowercase and uppercase letters, numbers, and symbols will also strengthen your password. The different character types expand the possible combinations hackers would need to try. You can replace letters with symbols that look similar, like ‘@’ for ‘a’, ‘!’ for ‘i’, or ‘$’ for ‘s’. Just be sure to avoid overused substitutions like ‘@’ for ‘a’.
Don’t reuse passwords
One of the worst password mistakes people make is reusing the same password across multiple accounts. If that one password is compromised, all of your accounts are now vulnerable. You should use a unique, complex password for every important account, especially email, banking, and financial accounts. Consider using a password manager to keep track of all your unique passwords.
Use 2-Factor Authentication when possible
For accounts that support it, enable 2-factor or multi-factor authentication. This requires you to enter a secondary one-time code from your phone or other device when logging in. So even if someone gets your password, they still can’t access your account. Turn on 2FA for things like email, social media, financial accounts, or any other sensitive accounts.
Change passwords periodically
Make a habit of changing your passwords every 90 days or so, even if there are no signs of a breach. This limits the damage if any of your accounts do happen to be compromised. You don’t need to change every password that frequently, but do it for critical accounts like your primary email, bank accounts, and your password manager. Create a calendar reminder if needed.
Use a password manager
A dedicated password manager app is one of the best tools available to help you create and manage strong, unique passwords for all your accounts. Apps like LastPass, 1Password, and Dashlane make it easy to generate complex random passwords, remember them securely, and even auto-fill them on websites. The one master password to access your manager should be long, complex, and unique.
Here is a comparison of some popular password manager options:
| Password Manager | Platforms Supported | Encryption Type | Multi-Factor Authentication | Browser Integration |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LastPass | Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux | AES-256 bit | Yes | All major browsers |
| 1Password | Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux | AES-256 bit | Yes | Chrome, Firefox, Safari |
| Dashlane | Windows, Mac, iOS, Android | AES-256 bit | Yes | Chrome, Firefox, Safari |
| Keeper | Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux | AES-256 bit | Yes | Chrome, Firefox, Edge |
Test your passwords
Once you’ve created a password for an important account, check its strength using an online strength tester. Input your password (not your actual username or site name) into a tool like the Microsoft Password Checker. It will tell you if your password is weak, fair, good, or excellent based on its length and complexity. Anything less than “good” needs improvement to truly keep your accounts secure.
Use your brain as backup
As a last layer of defense, consider memorizing one or two complex passwords for your most sensitive accounts, like email or banking. That way if you ever lose access to your password manager, you still have a very strong password physically stored in your brain that hackers are unlikely to crack. Just be sure to make these passwords different from what your password manager would generate.
Conclusion
Strong passwords require effort but are essential to keeping your online accounts secure. Avoid common words, phrases and patterns. Make passwords long, complex, and unique for every account. Use password managers, 2-factor authentication, and periodic changes to further strengthen security. With greater awareness and some good password habits, you can help protect your personal and financial information from being compromised.