Everyone has at least one password now days, especially if you have email. There have been several articles on popular passwords. People aren’t very creative. According to an old PC Magazine article, the most popular passwords are:
- password
- 123456
- qwerty
- abc123
- letmein
- monkey
- myspace1
- password1
- link182
- (your first name)
If any of the above passwords look familiar, your setting yourself up for a serious hack and possible id theft! Passwords are only safe if you meet some general rules:
1. They should be over 6 characters long. The longer the password, the better.
2. They should be changed frequently, especially if your use public computers (library, wifi, work)
3. Do not use your name, dob, address, username, etc. These are fairly easy to find.
4. Use letters, numbers, and punctuation in your password. Don’t use real English words. Use a password generator!
5. Use a pass phrase instead of a word. For example, a good password could be “ilove2blogalldayandallnight2″.
6. Use a password vault or program to hide your passwords. Do not tape it to your computer. Do not save it in a text file on your computer. Do not tattoo it on your body.
7. Recycling is good for the planet but not for passwords. Are you crazy?
Filed under: Computer, Internet security, Personal Id, passwords, privacy | Tagged: alphanumeric, generator, id theft, passwords, vault
