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.

Helpful tips to create a more secure or stronger password

Avoid the obvious. A password based on a name, birthday, social security number is a bad choice.
Avoid dictionary words. Criminals have software that guess passwords based on standard language, including words spelled backwards, common misspellings, and common substitutions (e.g., p@ssword).
Longer is better. Use a password with at least 8 characters. Comcast passwords must be between 8 and 16 characters.
Use letters and numbers together. Combine numbers and letters in your password.
Be wary of public computers. Avoid storing a password (e.g., the "remember me" function) on a public or shared computer.