Cyberspace: Strong password ideas for greater security
Passwords are the first layer of defence against intruders into our digital life. Yet when it comes to creating and remembering passwords, we make a few compromises. The problem is that there are too many sites that need passwords. It is hard to keep track of them all.
By : migrator
Update: 2017-01-22 17:06 GMT
Chennai
We could create complicated passwords but, the risk is we are likely to forget them. As a result, most of us either use simple passwords or reuse passwords across multiple sites. As you will see below, this is unsafe. There are a few things you can do to make passwords easier and more secure.
- Do not use passwords, use pass-phrases. Passwords must be hard to guess but easy to remember. A password like ‘ibrokemyfirsttoothwheniwasseven’ is harder to guess but easier to remember. To make it even more secure, transform the pass-phrase to a password. For example, the pass-phrase above could be changed to ‘Ibrokemy1sttoothWenIwas7’. Try to throw in a few words in your mother tongue to make it even more secure.
- Do not use the same password across multiple sites. Reusing passwords is one of the biggest security risks today. The LinkedIn breach of 2016 was largely caused by reused passwords. I know! It is difficult to come up with one good password. How do we come up with many different passwords and remember all? This takes me to the next point.
- Stop trying to remember passwords. This is probably the most insecure thing you are doing. If you try to remember passwords, you are likely to reuse them. Use a password manager instead. Use one that is robust and highly recommended by security experts (like Bruce Schneier).
- Do not store your bank passwords and other critical passwords in password managers. Take the time to memorise these passwords.
- No amount of password safety will work if you leave your phone unlocked. Lock your phone. Use a PIN. And remember that there is no law that PINs have to be four digits long! Use more than five digits. Remember not to use your birthdate!
- Turn on two-factor authentication when it is available. When you turn on two-factor authentication, you will have to enter one-time password sent to your mobile in addition to your password in order to log in to websites. At the end of the day, you have to remember that security is a relative term. No password is absolutely secure or crack-proof. But you can take a few steps to make it harder for criminals in cyberspace. Remember! The time to think about password security is now, not after you have been hacked.
The writer is a Tech Entrepreneur based in Chennai. He is the Founder-CEO of Rolo, the next generation Contact Manager.
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