When I talk about transliteracy I often use this stat
It would take a hacker 5.15 minutes to hack your 6 character all lower case password. Add in numbers, symbols and capital letters and it goes up to 8.51 days
from a Lifehacker article, How I’d Hack Your Weak Passwords, as an example of import skills we aren’t being taught. Its simple its basic and so very important. I see audience members quickly writing this down and often am asked for more information. The time has come for a post.
A secure password should have:
- a minimum of 8 characters
- lower case
- upper case
- number(s)
- symbol(s)
Tips
Randomly substitute symbols and numbers into your password.
- Chattahoochee becomes Ch@tt@h00ch33
Use a phrase.
- Columbus Sailed the Ocean Blue in 1492 becomes C$tob1492
Have more than one password.
I’m not going to tell you to use a different one everywhere, but have several and use the really complex ones on your bank account or retirement fund and by really complex I mean more complex than my examples
Change your passwords every six months.
I recommend changing them when you change the batteries in your smoke detectors.
Do NOT use any of the following for a password
- Your partner, child or pet’s name, possibly followed by a 0 or 1 (because they’re always making you use a number, aren’t they?)
- The last 4 digits of your social security number.
- 123 or 1234 or 123456.
- “password”
- Your city, or college, football team name.
- Date of birth – yours, your partner’s or your child’s.
- “god”
- “letmein”
- “money”
- “love”
More Tips
Librarian by Day 
I love that stat. This is a fun tool to see how long it would take a hacker to crack you: http://howsecureismypassword.net/
And here’s an alternative method that works for us: http://safeandsavvy.f-secure.com/2010/03/15/how-to-create-and-remember-strong-passwords/
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Yeah, nice info!
I’ve done that and it works since my account was broken up before.
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I have to disagree with your “change your password every six months” suggestion. Details @ http://travelinlibrarian.info/2010/07/30-posts-in-30-days-8-passwords/
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Michael you’re right I do cycle through the same passwords over and over at work because we have to change them every 90 days. But I do change my personal ones every 6 months to something new and complex. I think it depends on your level of knowledge of security and general “techiness”. I imagine other techies change theirs frequently too.
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RT @librarianbyday: How to Create a Secure Password https://librarianbyday.net/2010/07/how-to…
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RT @librarianbyday: How to Create a Secure Password https://librarianbyday.net/2010/07/how-to…
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RT @librarianbyday: How to Create a Secure Password https://librarianbyday.net/2010/07/how-to…
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RT @librarianbyday: How to Create a Secure Password https://librarianbyday.net/2010/07/how-to…
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RT @librarianbyday: How to Create a Secure Password https://librarianbyday.net/2010/07/how-to…
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You changed your clocks (&smoke detector batteries) this weekend, but did you remember to change your passwords? https://librarianbyday.net/2010/07/07/how…
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My fave tip for creating secure passwords is to use maths – it makes it really easy to create memorable combinations of numbers, letter and symbols, eg:
TwentyTwo=44/2
or
area=PI*r^2
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I think I’d have to be better at math to use it, but I can see how it makes sense for someone who is ! 🙂
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