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Passwords
If your online password strategy is based solely on birthdays and pets' names, then your private information may be at risk. The increasing use of the Internet for communication, financial transactions, and other services involving private information makes the personal passwords protecting these conveniences a primary target for hackers and online criminals.
What you should know about passwords
Hackers want passwords because they provide the quickest, easiest access to your computer, network, and online resources-and the private information they contain. A good password is private, easy to remember, difficult to guess, and not recorded in an unsecured location.
What you should do to keep your passwords secure
Take these steps to guard your passwords from disclosure:
- Avoid the obvious. A password based on your name, birthday, social security number, or similar information for your loved ones is a bad choice.
- Avoid dictionary words. Criminals have software that guesses passwords based on standard language, including words spelled backwards, common misspellings, and substitutions.
- Longer is better. Use a password with at least 8-14 characters.
- Use the entire keyboard. Combine numbers, letters (upper and lower case), and symbols to create a unique, secure password.
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Be wary of public computers. Never enter a password into a computer that you do not control.
- Make sure you can reset it: Routinely check that you have created a secret question and answer to allow password resets. Avoid submitting secret questions that are very obvious.
- Keep an eye on your accounts. Monitor your online services for unauthorized activity that may indicate a password security breach.
