One of the greatest tips I have ever received for making your passwords less hackable is to use phrases, or names of people, pets, places, etc., that only you are familiar with on a daily basis. While its always fun to share the things that you love and talk about them with others, it's also good to make sure to save one phrase or name that only you can always remember and know it would be hard for others to guess. Examples of this could be creating passwords with your a relative's name, best friend's name, your pet's name, a favorite movie, a favorite song, the name of your favorite city, lake, building, a specific structure, etc.
Using complicated combinations of letters, numbers, and punctuation won’t help if you end up saving the passwords to a Word document on your computer. For that reason, simple, memorable words tend to be the most safe for passwords. Rarely are passwords actually hacked–for the most part they’re retrieved with other personal info through phishing or are guessed simply because the passwords are obvious. So, while picking your password, make sure it isn’t common combinations like “Password” or “Qwerty.”
My best tip for making your passwords less hackable isn’t something that you should affirmatively do, but actually something you shouldn’t do. And that is to never allow Google to save your passwords. If you have Google save your passwords when browsing Chrome, or any other platform using the common “remember this device” framework for that matter, you are setting yourself up for loss. If you ever lose your laptop, tablet or phone, you are screwed. Hackers will instantly have all your passwords and login data. And not just for one website or account - for all of them. So my best advice is to take the extra 3 seconds and type in your password each time.
Use a password generator or a dependable password management program to generate strong passwords for your accounts. A good password generator will create passwords that are difficult to guess and therefore, less likely to be hacked. Generators are programed to use a combination of lowercase letters, special symbols and all types of random combinations. Additionally, be sure to use different passwords for each of your online accounts. This will help to ensure that if one account is hacked, the hacker will not be able to access your other accounts. Finally, be sure to keep your passwords safe and secure by not sharing them with others and never writing them down.
Most people forget the vast amount of passwords they use across all of their logins, so rather than keeping your information on a document, consider using a password manager. These are softwares that can both generate strong passwords and store them for you. No need to worry about your password manager getting hacked as well - your password vault is encrypted and can only be accessed with your unique master password. Most password manager programs are free to use and will also notify you when you have a weak password, if there are any duplicates that need to be updated, or even if you have a compromised password.
Google Chrome offers strong, complex password suggestions that save to the browser. Unique passwords that are simply a random combination of numbers, letters, and characters are less likely to be guessed than common or weak passwords. Moreover, Google Chrome makes it easy to save and autofill your passwords. This means you can have unique, strong passwords for every login you have and if someone gets one of your passwords you are not completely vulnerable on all of your online accounts.
As a business that has individual customers accounts, we are always looking for ways for them to improve their security, and is why we recommend that their passwords be at least 14 characters in length. People make the mistake of believing that hackers are just using tricks of the trade, yet in actuality, they utilize software that can decipher a 7 character password in less than a second. However, creating a password that is over a 14 character combination, you can extend the time of a hack from less than one second, to literally centuries. By simply making the effort to create a longer password, you can make stealing your password nearly impossible and ensure yourself less headaches in the future.
Add a plain space—this is not often done but can make a huge difference towards making a password less hackable. Example: If your password is "seame_123" simply change it to " seame_ 123.” That simple tip can make a password very difficult to hack. Ideally, you’ll want to compliment this with a mixture of letters, numbers, and even symbols for extra protection. Funny how something as trivial as a plain space can add so much strength to your password.
Avoid using your birthday as a password. This is an easy and predictable way for hackers to guess your code on the first or second try. For password security, consider using a pet's birthday, or a significant other's so it's not so obvious. Hackers are less likely to guess codes of direct family members, especially if it's a furry friend.
Setting up a two step verification is probably the best way to make any of your accounts extremely secure. However, if you do not feel like setting up a two step verification (I totally understand because it can be annoying), making your password longer and including more symbols is an easy way to make your accounts more secure. Having different passwords can be helpful as well, although it can make things a bit more confusing sometimes.
One way to make your passwords less hackable is to change them every couple of months. If you use the same password for years on end and with multiple accounts, you’re more likely to be a victim of a data breach. Changing your passwords on a more frequent basis will help you to stay one step ahead of hackers and ensure your security.
Avoid using personal information like phone numbers, birthdays, or family or pet names in your passwords. These can be easily guessed by hackers and can give them easier access to your accounts. Use a good mix of numbers and symbols, as well as upper and lower case letters to make your passwords more difficult to guess.
CEO at Ishine365
Answered 4 years ago
Use both upper and lower case letters. Use special characters. Use both numbers and alphabets. The length of the password should be 8 characters or more. Avoid any password based on repetition, dictionary words, letter or number sequences, usernames, relative or pet names, or biographical information (birthday). Use actual numbers whenever possible. Use “2” for “two” or “to” and “4” for “four” or “for.” If you use any part of my ideas, please refer me as Laura Jimenez, https://www.ishine365.com/
Content Manager at WP Buffs
Answered 4 years ago
Multiple authentication steps may seem like a waste of time when logging in, but when it comes to protecting your data from prying eyes, it’s the safest bet. While it remains true that no amount of security measures can make an account thoroughly secure, multi-factor authentication does go a long way in deploying a less hackable process. For one, every authentication factor adheres to a different technology or process. And when it comes to security, a mix of barriers always works better than just one.
One tip to make passwords less hackable is to start using a password manager. Password managers keep track of the various usernames and passwords you use on various sites, not only boosting safety but saving you time by automatically filling in the username/password fields. These passwords are kept in an encrypted, centralized location, which you can access with a master password. They’ll also synchronize your passwords across different devices and auditing your password behavior to ensure you are not using the same one in too many locations. Many services are free to use and I'm using Lastpass because it's easy to use.
Using the app 1Password is ideal, it helps to store passwords, so if you have many different passwords you do not have to worry about forgetting them. It also keeps them private by requiring 2 factor authentication, including providing a code that you have to manually store so that no-one else can access the account. It can also provide suggestions of complex passwords for different websites and also keep these stored for you.
When it comes to creating memorable passwords, many people use their own birthdays, addresses and social security numbers. However, this is never a good idea, as clever hackers are often able to figure these things out. I always use the birthday of my best friend or a family member so that I will remember it, but it’s also not directly connected to my personal data. You can also set up two-factor verification through the Google authenticator app if you're trying to secure your website and other online accounts. Keep your passwords private and your business safe.
Never use a common password. In fact, if a website has a feature that will randomly generate a password for you, you can pretty much bet it will be a solid choice. Use the correct combination of words, numbers and symbols, and store them somewhere secure (like in your home safe). It's also a great idea to leverage a two-factor authenticator app to further secure your account from hackers. Even when all the right password precautions are taken, it's still essential to have antivirus software installed on your computer to reduce your risk of cyber attack.
Founder at The Ridge Wallet
Answered 4 years ago
Lastpass It’s important for everyone to ensure that their information is secure, especially any vital documents. You need long and complex passwords, but you also need several different ones for your accounts. Lastpass is an app that locks your passwords in a secure place. You can access your passwords from any device with the installed app. Most importantly, it has layers of encryption when protecting your data as a small business. This tool is essential when helping with productivity and keeping informational documents confidential.
The number one way to make a password less hackable is to make it longer with more potential variables. Everyone knows this, but the logistics of remembering a bunch of different, highly secure passwords is impossible without help. There are password managers that allow for better online security by keeping track of all your passwords for you. All you have to do is remember one master password. However, password managers may not always be the best solution for the wide array of digital circumstance we sometimes find ourselves. A good rule of thumb to know when creating a password is that it is harder for most hacking programs to guess just three random words in sequence than any one word followed by digits. Start with three words, maybe add a pattern of digits between them, and follow up with some special characters. Three words is long enough to be a phrase that might inform what the pattern is, making the password easier to remember.