A strong password:
Relate your password to a favorite hobby or sport. For example, I love to play badminton could become ILuv2PlayB@dm1nt()n.
Create an acronym from an easy-to-remember piece of information.
If you feel you must write down your password in order to remember it, make sure you don't label it as your password, and keep it in a safe place.
Avoid Common Passwords
If the word you use can be found in the dictionary, it's not a strong password. If you use numbers or letters in the order they appear on the keyboard ("1234" or "qwerty"), it's not a strong password.
If it's the name of your relatives, your kids, or your pet, favorite team, or city of your birth, guess what—it's not a strong password. If it's your birthday, anniversary, date of graduation, even your car license plate number, it's not a strong password.
It doesn't matter if you follow this with another number. These are all things hackers would try first. They write programs to check these kinds of passwords first, in fact.
- Is at least eight characters long.
- Does not contain your user name, real name, or company name.
- Does not contain a complete word.
- Is significantly different from previous passwords.
Relate your password to a favorite hobby or sport. For example, I love to play badminton could become ILuv2PlayB@dm1nt()n.
Create an acronym from an easy-to-remember piece of information.
If you feel you must write down your password in order to remember it, make sure you don't label it as your password, and keep it in a safe place.
Avoid Common Passwords
If the word you use can be found in the dictionary, it's not a strong password. If you use numbers or letters in the order they appear on the keyboard ("1234" or "qwerty"), it's not a strong password.
If it's the name of your relatives, your kids, or your pet, favorite team, or city of your birth, guess what—it's not a strong password. If it's your birthday, anniversary, date of graduation, even your car license plate number, it's not a strong password.
It doesn't matter if you follow this with another number. These are all things hackers would try first. They write programs to check these kinds of passwords first, in fact.
see also