How to Create Strong Passwords: A Comprehensive Guide

1. Password Length:

• An ideal password should be between 12-14 characters in length

2. Use a Combination of Letters, Numbers, and Symbols:

•  The greater the variation in characters, the harder it will be to brute-force your password
• Use different numbers, letters, cases, and special characters like @#$^- to strengthen your password

3. Avoid Using Common Words or Phrases:

• Many insecure passwords are too similar to every-day phrases
• While they are easy to remember, they are easy to guess

4. Avoid Using Sequences or Patterns:

• Don’t use repeatable sequences or patterns in your passwords
• If a hacker is able to establish a pattern from one password, they can quickly guess all of your passwords that follow the same pattern

5. Avoid Using Personal Information:

• Personal information is easily visible to the public via social media, account names, services, etc. thus, can be found by anyone if they know where to look

6. Use a Password Manager:

• A password manager can help keep track of your passwords in a secure way, making it so you don’t have to memorize your passwords, thus you can make them as complex as you want
• Most password managers include a password creation tool, as well as browser plugins to quickly grab your passwords
• We recommend the password manager BitWarden

7. Regularly Update Your Passwords:

• The best way to maintain security is to be proactive
• If you think a password may have been leaked, the safest thing to do is change it
• Don’t keep less secure passwords for more than a few months

8. Two-Factor Authentication (2FA):

• If your account in question offers two-factor authentication, set it up
• The use of a pin, phone-number, or recovery address greatly increases your security, while decreasing the number of successful break-ins

9. Use Unique Passwords for Each Account:

• One of the worst things you can do is reuse passwords for multiple accounts
• Likewise, you should not share passwords between people

10. Train Your Team:

• If applied to a work environment, make sure your team is responsibly creating credentials
• The best way to stay safe is to be educated

Follow these guidelines and you will be on your way to peace of mind and Fort Knox level security!