At my office we have a saying that goes something like this: “If we lose the password file we are done.” Passwords are the worst part of digital life. There are a lot of choices on how to keep up with your passwords, some of them are free and some of them charge a bit. I have several different sources for keeping up with my passwords and most likely they are not the absolute most secure resources but they are mine. When it comes to passwords the key is to find the solution that works best for you.
A few interesting stats on passwords:
- People log into an average of 25 different sites on any given day.
- There are 6 characters in the average password.
- It only takes 3 minutes to crack the average password.
Know what makes for a bad password.
Because the attacks described above are becoming increasingly more common, you don’t want to use anything in your password that’s personal and easy to guess. Keep in mind the following don’ts:
- Don’t use only letters or only numbers.
- Don’t use names of spouses, children, girlfriends/boyfriends or pets.
- Don’t use phone numbers, Social Security numbers or birthdates.
- Don’t use the same word as your log-in, or any variation of it.
- Don’t use any word that can be found in the dictionary — even foreign words.
- Don’t use passwords with double letters or numbers.
Some of the worst passwords are: password, drowssap, admin, 123456, and the name of your company or department. Finally, never leave it blank. That’s a surefire way to let the bad guys into your system.
Read the full article here: http://www.microsoft.com/business/en-us/resources/technology/security/5-tips-for-top-notch-password-security.aspx?fbid=Y_Q9iLqjCMx
How do you keep up with your passwords? Do you have any tips that you can provide?
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