Why do I need a secure password?

A lot of people have been asking whether or not they need a computer password.  A password is always a good idea on any of your devices and accounts.  Think about your computer like an apartment building.  If somebody gets into the front door, you will still have a lock on your apartment door, keeping them out of your personal area or data.  The lock on your apartment door is your password.

Flash Tech recommends having a password that is at least 10 characters long with at least one character being capital letters, numbers and symbols.  We would also suggest using memorable phrases or quotes or a mnemonic such as May the Force be with you! MtFbwy1!.  This will make it much harder for someone to guess your password or use software to try to crack it.  Creating a password this way will also help you remember what it is.

When creating a password, avoid words found in the dictionary, usernames, pet names, family names, addresses and birthdays.  These are the most common things that people use for passwords and are the first things hackers will try to use to gain access to your accounts and personal files.  The harder it is to guess your password, the longer it will take for someone to crack it.

There are apps and online services that can tell you how strong your password is, suggest how to make it more secure, and how long it could take to crack it.  If you are skeptical about using a program or website you have never heard of, Microsoft offers an online strength checker that is said to be completely secure and Macs have the built-in Password Assistant.  Also, there are password manager programs such as 1Password, Dashlane and LastPass that allow you to save all of your passwords in one spot while using one master password to be able to access the rest.  Using these programs are a good idea if you don’t want to remember several passwords, you would only need to remember the master password to the program which saves all of your other passwords.  These programs have apps for your phones and tablets as well.  These apps and online checkers are only as secure as the provider.  One way to make these more secure is to use 2-step authentication.  2-step authentication is a way to make your accounts more secure by requiring a code from an app on your phone after you put in your password to verify that it is you trying to log in.  LastPass and Dashlane have built-in 2-step authentication.

Remember, when creating a password, it is strongly suggested that it is a minimum of 10 characters long.  Do not use any personal information and add special characters, punctuation and capital letters to make it as secure as possible.  If you have any questions, please contact us.