How to Create a Strong Password: Tips and Tricks for Better Cybersecurity

In today's digital age, it's crucial to have strong passwords for all your online accounts to protect your personal information from cybercriminals. Unfortunately, many still use weak and easily guessable passwords, such as "123456" or "password."

These types of passwords can put your online security at risk and make you an easy target for hackers. That's why it's important to create strong passwords that are difficult for others to guess.

This article will provide tips and tricks for creating a strong password and better cybersecurity. Following these guidelines, you can keep your online accounts and personal information safe from cyber threats.

Characteristics of a Strong Password

Length and complexity

Length and complexity are key components of a strong password. A longer password is generally more secure than a shorter one because it allows an attacker to guess more possible combinations. Complexity refers to combining characters such as uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols.

A strong password should ideally be at least 12 characters long, but some experts recommend longer passwords, such as 15 or 20 characters. In addition to length, a strong password should use a combination of character types, including uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols.

Use of a combination of uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols

Combining uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols is important to creating a strong password. This increases the complexity of the password and makes it more difficult for an attacker to guess or crack it.

Including a mix of character types increases the possible combinations that an attacker would need to try to guess the password.

For example, a password that includes uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols such as "@6xT#pE8fM" has 96^12 possible combinations. In contrast, a password that only uses lowercase letters and numbers such as "password123" has only 36^9 possible combinations.

Avoidance of dictionary words and personal information

Avoiding dictionary words and personal information is another important aspect of creating a strong password. Dictionary attacks are a common method attackers use to crack passwords by trying common words or phrases in a dictionary. Personal information such as your name, birth date, or address can also be easily guessed by attackers who have some knowledge about you.

Creating a completely unrelated set of characters for your password is best to avoid these vulnerabilities. You can use a combination of random words, numbers, and symbols or a password generator to create a completely random and unique password for each of your accounts.

Tips for Creating a Strong Password

Use of a passphrase instead of a single word

Using a passphrase instead of a single word is an effective way to create a strong password. A passphrase is a combination of multiple words that creates a long and complex password, which makes it harder for attackers to guess or crack your password.

When creating a passphrase, choose a set of words that are unrelated to each other and don't form a common phrase. You can also add some numbers, symbols, or spaces to strengthen it. For example, a passphrase like "purplebutterfly$7guitar" is more secure than a word like "password".

Variation of passwords for different accounts

Creating unique and strong passwords for each account is an important step in protecting your online presence. Reusing passwords across multiple accounts increases the risk of a security breach as compromising one account can lead to a domino effect of breaches.

It's important to use a combination of characters including uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols when creating passwords, as well as avoid using personal information like your name or birthdate that can be easily guessed.

Instead, consider using a password manager tool that can generate unique and complex passwords for each account, reducing the risk of a security breach while simplifying password management.

Use of password manager tools

Password manager tools are secure applications designed to help you create, store and manage unique and complex passwords for all your accounts. With a password manager, you only need to remember one master password that grants you access to all your passwords.

Password managers can help you to create strong passwords that are difficult to guess or hack by generating random combinations of letters, numbers, and symbols. Additionally, they provide an encrypted and secure storage solution for your passwords, so you don't have to worry about writing down your passwords on paper or memorizing multiple passwords for different accounts.

Password managers also offer additional security features such as two-factor authentication, which requires a code sent to your phone to access your password vault, and password audits that can identify weak or reused passwords across multiple accounts.

Periodic changing of passwords

Periodically changing your passwords is a recommended practice to improve the security of your online accounts. Regularly changing your passwords can minimize the risk of unauthorized access to your accounts, especially if your passwords have been compromised or exposed.

However, the frequency of password changes is debated among cybersecurity experts. Some experts argue that changing passwords too frequently can lead to weaker passwords, as people may become more likely to choose easy-to-remember and predictable passwords.

Others suggest that the benefits of changing passwords regularly outweigh the drawbacks, especially when combined with other security practices like using unique and complex passwords.

Additional Measures for Better Cybersecurity

In addition to using strong passwords and password managers, there are several additional measures you can take to enhance your cybersecurity:

• Two-factor authentication: Two-factor authentication (2FA) adds an extra layer of security to your accounts by requiring a second form of identification, such as a code sent to your phone or a biometric factor like your fingerprint. This can help protect your accounts even if your password is compromised.
• Keeping software and security systems up to date: It's important to regularly update your software and security systems to ensure you have the latest patches and security updates. This can help protect you from known vulnerabilities that attackers can exploit to access your system.
• Avoiding phishing scams: Phishing is a common tactic used by cybercriminals to trick people into divulging their sensitive information. To avoid falling for phishing scams, be cautious of unexpected emails or messages from unknown senders, avoid clicking on suspicious links or attachments, and verify the authenticity of requests for personal or financial information.

Conclusion

In today's digital age, protecting your online presence is crucial. Cybercriminals always seek ways to exploit vulnerabilities and gain unauthorized access to personal and sensitive information.

Strong passwords, password managers, and additional security measures like two-factor authentication, keeping software and security systems up to date, and avoiding phishing scams can help to enhance your cybersecurity and reduce the risk of a security breach.

Beyond creating strong passwords, there are many other dangers that lurk online. Check out our article on how to stay safe on social media! 

And don't forget, children are especially susceptible to the dangers of the internet. Here's how you can teach them about cybersecurity. Alternatively, you could teach them cybersecurity concepts by letting them experience and defend against cybersecurity 'threats' safely through our cybersecurity board game, Potato Pirates: Enter the Spudnet!

By following these guidelines and staying proactive regarding cybersecurity, you can better protect yourself and your information from potential threats. Remember, a little extra effort in protecting your online security can go a long way in safeguarding your personal information and digital identity.