1
Make your passwords strong
Not all passwords are equal. When you choose a password, make it:
Long: The longer your password, the better. You can increase the strength of your password simply by making it longer.
Unpredictable: A strong password is hard to predict. Birthdays or names don't make great passphrases as they can be easier to guess. It is also predictable to have spaces between words, a capital letter at the beginning and punctuation at the end. Using a mix of capitals, numbers and special characters is more unpredictable and makes stronger passwords.
2
Consider using a passphrase
Again, all passwords are easier to crack these days. But there’s a quick workaround – the passphrase.
What is a passphrase?
- A passphrase is when you use a series of words as your password.
- For example: ‘dancing in the rain’ or ‘do you remember last september’.
- Use a string of at least 4 words.
- Passphrases are easy to use, but hard to crack.
- If you need to add numbers and special characters, you can just chuck them on the end of the phrase.
3
Use a different password or passphrase for each important account
Protect your most important accounts, like banking and primary email, by giving each a unique passphrase.
