HOW TO SECURE YOUR ACCOUNT BY MAKING A KILLER PASSWORD

A password is a collection of characters used to verify the identity of a user during the authentication process. Passwords are used in association with a username. They are created to be known only to the user and allow that user to gain access to a device, application or website. Passwords can vary in length and can contain letters, numbers and special characters. Other terms that can be used interchangeably are passphrase for when the password uses more than one word, and passcode and passkey for when the password uses only numbers instead of a mix of characters, such as a personal identification number.

In this world of Internet when we are using a number of apps to make our lives easy we need to have a strong good password to protect our details from hackers. From online banking to playing games, shopping or just to surf the net we need a good password to safeguard our details from cyber crimes. Some of the best practices for password requirements include:

• A minimum length of eight characters with a limit of anywhere from 16 to 64 characters or possibly even higher;
• The inclusion of both uppercase and lowercase letters with case sensitivity;
• The use of at least one number; and
• The use of at least one special character.

  Here are some tips to remember when trying to create a secure password

1) Do not be obvious– Passwords like 123456 are the most obvious passwords which can be hacked very easily. It is very easy for the hackers to get word and number combinations to hack an account by using the dictionary attack. Be careful while making a password which is very obvious.

2) Change phrases into codes– Online security experts suggest changing unforgettable phrases which are connected to your life and convert it into a password. For example- My mum stays in a small town called Ranchi. This sentence could be changed to a password like mMsiastcR.

3) The combination of letters and numbers– is always better- Cyber experts recommend to make passwords with the combination of numbers letters and symbols. This should not be very obvious easy passwords. Using numbers in the middle of a password having alphabets makes it a better option to be secure. For example, the password we made in tip 2 can be changed to mM444siastcR.

4) Use 12 characters or more– Passwords can be hacked by cyber criminals very easily but the longer a password is harder it becomes to figure it out. It is always suggested to make a password using 12 characters or more which would be a combination of numbers symbols and alphabets. It makes it difficult to hack the password making your account all the more secure.

5) Don’t reuse or recycle the passwords– Having the same password for all logins in different apps can endanger every account of yours. You should keep changing your password periodically and keep in mind not to use the old ones.

6) Personalize By site– If you keep a password which is repetitive you should, for sure add a few extra symbols to the same password differently to various sites. This would make your login safer and protected. For example, use “FBK” for a Facebook login with a password you have created.  So your new password for opening the Facebook application would become FBK.mM444siastcR.

7) Stay logged off – It is convenient to save and store the passwords on the browser of the computer or smartphone. It becomes easy and quick for a person to get access to your accounts and data which can be stolen or misused. It is better to stay logged off from the applications. Uncheck the ‘remember me’ option where the password is filled to safeguard your accounts. Take a few extra seconds to type in your password.

8) Add a two step verification– The strongest of the passwords can be protected from being hacked by two step verification. When you opt for this verification you need to enter a code that has been sent to your phone number or Email address. This verification supports double protection of your password.

9) Keep a backup– You should always have a tough password which is easy for you to remember. But these days we have become forgetful. Cyber expert suggest keeping an excel file in your Google Drive or Dropbox which will contain all the passwords and verification codes of different apps you are using. This should be easily accessible to you but not to others.

10) Use a password manager– To remember and your password the easiest way is to use a password management tool. These tools will help you to unlock and auto fill your passwords and different pieces of information to different applications. The tools strongly safeguard your information and passwords.

By taking easy and safe steps you can protect your password on your computer and mobile from being hacked and compromised.