How to Create a Strong Password

A strong password should meet all three of these criteria:

• Over eight characters
  
• Combines letters, numbers and symbols
  
• Easy for you to remember, but difficult for others to guess
  

Choose a Long Phrase

• Ask not what your country can do for you ...
  
• To be or not to be, that is the question
  
• We have nothing to fear but fear itself
  

Make all (or some) of the following substitutions

• For the word "are", use "r"
  
• For the word "be", use "b"
  
• For the word "for", use 4
  
• For the word "nothing", use 0 (zero)
  
• For the word "to", use 2
  
• For the word "you" use "u"
  
• For the word "we", use "v"
  
• For any numbers, type the number
  
• If permitted, use "&" for and, or "@" for at.
  
  

Make changes and pick the first letter of every word

• "Ask not what your country can do for you" becomes : AnWyCcd4U
  
• "To be or not to be, that is the question" becomes : 2bOn2BtItQ
  
• "We have nothing to fear but fear itself" : Vh02FbFi
  

Tips and Tricks

• Choose one long password for all sites : The best security would be to use a different long password at each site;
  but that's nearly impossible to do. This is the second best solution.
  
• Use Hotkeys Software : Keyboard software can enter a good long strong password with one key entry or click.
  See Technical Tips : Hotkey Software
  
• Reprogram a keyboard key : New keyboards allow you to reprogram some keys like MyHome/Back/Email/Cal key.
  Change one to the password you want to use.
  
• Check your password on Google : If it is a complicated strong password, it should not be found.
  
  

Traps

• Do NOT use your username as the password.
  
• Do NOT use "password" as your password.
  
• Do NOT use your first name or last name as your password.
  
• Do NOT use repeating or sequential numbers as password e.g. 1234567890, 22222222
  
• Do NOT use dictionary words as passwords.
  
• Do NOT use single "hacker phrases" as passwords e.g. "M1cr0$0ft" or "P@ssw0rd"
  
• Do NOT write down the password on a post-it and stick it on the monitor.
  
  

Some useful links

• Strong passwords: How to create and use them : Tips from Microsoft
  
• Creating Strong Passwords : Tips from Princeton University
  
• The Strong Password Dilemma : Research paper on strong passwords.
  

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• eConsultant � Blog Archive � How to Create a Strong Password
  

This entry was posted on Thursday, February 02, 2006 at 11:04 PM. You can skip to the end and leave a response.