Happy world password day! Password security is one of the most important concepts in information security, because the security of passwords helps us to prevent unauthorized access to our systems and data. For one of the most sensible theme days of the 21st century, we have summarized for you how you can create a secure password – and protect yourself and your data from attackers.
1. Long passwords are better than short ones – at least in theory
Password strength is an estimation of the security of a password, usually expressed in terms of “how many possible combinations” are there for the password to be cracked.
In theory, long passwords are more secure than short ones. Emphasis on theoretical: a long password that consists of only one digit, one character, or one letter is, of course, less secure than a password that is a little more well thought out. Besides, it would help if you avoided rows of numbers like 245678 or not use whole lines or connected letters on a keyboard. So you better don’t use an insecure password like YXCVBNM.
Image Credit: Markus Spiske
2. It doesn’t work without the complexity
It is often extremely annoying but quite useful: In the recent past, it has become increasingly common for websites to insist on a complex password when creating a new password. Usually, you have to use at least one capital letter, a number, and other special characters such as #,%, ยง or!. In principle, this is good because the more complex a password, the more difficult it is to crack.
Tip: Please do not strictly adhere to the specifications and use more special characters or capital letters than necessary. With this, you beat every attacker an additional cheat.
3. Save the password in the browser – yes or no?
Saving passwords in the browser is undoubtedly a useful function. Opera and Firefox also have the option of using a master password. However, the function is controversial among experts: on the one hand, anyone who has access to your device can theoretically log into your profile (because your data is stored). On the other hand, there is software that can read passwords from browsers. When saving passwords in the browser’s password list, it is essential to weigh up the convenience and the risks sensibly.
Good advice. If you want to save the password on your computer, it is better to do it in a secure program. For example, you can read VPN recommendations.
4. Keep the distance
It would help if you avoided passwords that contain, for example, the name of your pet, the maiden name of the mother, the birthday of your partner, or your place of residence. At best, you choose a password that is not directly related to your own life. The necessary distance to yourself makes sense. Attackers could crack such passwords with electronic dictionaries, which they run through the login mask.
Another tip: Another tip: Even popular, contemporary words like “New York” are better to leave behind – especially if you are from New York.
5. Small tricks with a significant impact
Of course, there is of little use if your right password is so complex that you cannot remember it. Small tricks can help here. For example, think of a sentence and only take the first letter of a word or a number mentioned in the sentence. From your password sentence, “Daqana.org is simply mega good, that’s why I read up to 10 articles per day,” the password becomes “Dismg, twIrut1apd”. Tricks like writing backward or using phonetic transcription work in a similar direction.
Keep in mind. Another mistake in password security is to use the same password for different accounts. If we use different passwords for different accounts, hackers will have problems cracking all of them, as they will have to crack the password for each account.
6. Summary
Image credit: @maxcodes
Since you have to remember enough, including your complex passwords, here is a summary:
- Long passwords are better than short ones.
- A strong password is always complicated.
- Do not use any personal information
Use small tricks such as phonetic transcription, spelling backward, or sentences, of which you only ever use the first letter.
Browsers save your passwords encrypted, but you are not entirely protected from attackers.