Use strong passwords and a password manager
When creating a password, there are three main qualities that help make a password harder to crack, and more secure.
1. Have unique passwords
First, each password you have should be unqiue. Don’t repeat passwords or similar variations of a password between accounts or services, as this can lead to a larger-scale breach. If you have trouble keeping track of passwords, between accounts, consider using a password manager service.
ⓘ A password manager is a service that securely stores and manages passwords for you. Many systems have built-in password managers, such as Apple’s ‘Passwords’ application, or Google’s ‘Password Manager’.
2. Make sure your password is at least 12 characters long
Next, your password should be at least 12 characters long. The longer your password, the more protection you have against ‘brute force’ attacks, or when an attacker uses specialized software and algorithms to force their way into your account.
3. Make it complex
Finally, make sure that you’re using a diverse set of characters and symbols in your password. Use a combination of letters, numbers, and speciual characters like #, !, $, and @. These also add to the entropy and protect against brute force attacks.
How often to change your password
If your password meets all criteria for being at least 12 characters long, has diverse characters, and is unqiue between accounts, you don’t need to change your password regularly unless:
- You suspect your account has been compromised.
- You recieve notice of a data breach involving your account.
While previous reccomendations may have included advice for an annual password change, new standards reccomend that long, strong passwords need to be updated only when necessary.
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