It is quite interesting to note that the vast majority of online users still use weak passwords. Research has shown that one reason online users get hacked or have their accounts compromised is that they operate their devices on a regime of weak passwords. As at the last check, the password “123456” is yet to fall off the list as the world’s most used password! This is the easiest password to guess by any would-be hacker. We have written on how you can improve and protect your online privacy, but your first line of defense is having a secured password.
Here are, however, a few tips to guide you in choosing a secured password:
- Use a good Password Manager: Using a good Password Manager is necessary because, due to the huge number of sites you have to deal with, it is almost impossible for you to remember all the different passwords on all of them. The Password Manager saves you the hassle of having to remember all the passwords. This is why this tip comes highly recommended.
- Make sure your password is at least 12 or more characters long: The longer your password, the better for you as the combinations the hacker has to try out to hack you becomes more enormous, the longer the password is.
- Do not use the same password on multiple accounts: Many users are fond of using the same password for all their online accounts. This is very dangerous for you because, once one is hacked, the others become a walkover for the hacker.
- Ensure your passwords have a combination of numbers, symbols, upper and lower case letters: Using a password with a combination of numbers, symbols, upper and lower case letters equally makes it more difficult for the hacker to guess.
- Do not use words or spellings that can be found in a dictionary as your password: Words are very easy to put together and guess, so, avoid using them as your password.
These tips will certainly help you stay secured, however, you need to prevent password-capturing malware from entering your system or device and also avoid phishing and virus infested websites.
It is also important to state that using stronger passwords will not keep you secure from all the threats out there as they are enormous, but it will make you much safer.
