Improve your computer security with strong passwords advises Peter Clarke from PC PAL
The stronger your password, the better the security against intrusion by hackers and thieves, who could use your information to access your bank account or open new credit card accounts - and you wouldn't know until it was too late.
A good, strong password should meet all three of these criteria:
- At least eight characters in length.
- Combines letters, numbers, and symbols, but avoid the obvious, such as "12345678," "222222," "abcdefg," adjacent letters on your keyboard and common words even if modified with symbols eg "P@ssw0rd".
- Easy for you to remember, but difficult for others to guess i.e. not your login name, your spouse's name, or your birthday.
One way to create a strong and memorable password is by using the initial letters from a 'pass phrase': start with a common phrase, such as "You can't teach an old dog new tricks", then inject at least one number or symbol into the password. In this case, "yctaodnt" can become "YctaODnT", or even "U(t@0DnT".
Remember:
- Don't give your passwords or pass phrase to friends or family members (especially children) who could innocently pass them on to other less trustworthy individuals.
- Don't write passwords down and never provide your password over e-mail or telephone even if a trusted company or individual requests it.
- Change passwords regularly, ideally every few months. Do not use the same passwords for multiple accounts.
- Don't enable the Save Password Option as this allows anyone who uses your computer to access your accounts. If you receive a dialog box asking if you would like the computer to remember the password, choose No.
If you have questions regarding this or any other computer issue then contact PC PAL on 01264 931000, email [email protected] or visit www.pcpal.co.uk
