A good password is easy for you to remember but difficult for criminals and password breaking software to guess. Use these guidelines to create effective, strong passwords:
PERSONAL INFORMATION | KEEP IN MIND/ number 1
Avoid using any part of your first or last name, your family members’ names, phone number, street address, license plate number, Social Security number, or birth date. CONSIDER THE LENGTH | KEEP IN MIND/ number 2 Use at least eight characters. MAKE IT DIFFICULT | KEEP IN MIND/ number 3
Use a variety of uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, punctuation, and symbols. Select characters located on different parts of the keyboard, not the ones you commonly use or that are adjacent to each other. MODIFY | KEEP IN MIND/ number 4 Change the password frequently, at least every three months. |
VARIATION | KEEP IN MIND/ number 5
Do not use the same password for all accounts. Once criminals have stolen a password, they attempt to use that password for other accounts, especially banking websites. CONSIDER USING A PASSPHRASE | KEEP IN MIND/ number 6 A passphrase, which is similar to a password, consists of several words separated by spaces. Security experts recommend misspelling a few of the words and adding several numerals. |