Tips for Creating a secure password.
Given the number of passwords we seem to need for our online activities, it is very easy to resort to having one password for multiple accounts. However such a practice may compromise the security of your accounts. eSmart have suggested the following tips for creating a secure password:
- When you create a password, be sure to include punctuation marks such as * or !, somewhere in the password. Include a number, but remember to avoid obvious number sequences such as a birthday or postcode. yOu CaN miX uP lowercase and UPPERCASE, but do not have all one or the other. Also, avoid using sequences found on your keyboard, such as Qwerty or 1234.
- Another clever tip is to substitute numbers for words. For example the number zero for the letter ‘O’ or ‘$’ for the letter ‘S’, as well as phonetic spelling and number e.g. ’4′ or ‘Luv’. Some examples are ‘mAd4CoffEe*’ and ‘ilUv%My4orties’ (please do not use these examples or another given examples you find).
- It is not good practice to have the same passwords for multiple important accounts, such as work email and online banking.
- It is a good idea to test logins of all kinds periodically. This will ensure any logins don’t expire and helps you remember them also!
