5 Tips for a Strong and Secure Password

It’s already difficult to select a password that you can remember, and it’s even more difficult to make sure it is strong. As there are regular hacking activities all over the world, it’s not wise to keep your online information in a vulnerable position. Here are some ways to make sure you have a strong password that’s not easily hacked.

1. Get Creative

There is no real limit to how farfetched or specific your password can be. For example, you can abbreviate an entire phrase, like “I was born on the 20th of February in 1993”. This could be written as IwBont20Febi#1993. Remember, the richer with characters your password is, the better.

2. Throw out your dictionary

Never use words that easily pop up in the dictionary, since it’s easier for hackers to guess the password. Using proper nouns or words that aren’t spelled exactly the right way makes the password unique and will prevent anyone from trying to break it by guessing.

3. Use multiple authentication methods where possible

Many websites offer multi-factor authentication tools to verify the legitimacy of the person accessing the account. For example, if someone accesses the account from a new device, the website will usually activate this authentication method by further asking a special question. Some websites offer this as a default service, while others prompt you to consider activating it.

4. Use multiple passwords

One of the most common mistakes that users make is using the same password for multiple accounts at a time. Once a password is compromised, the rest of the user’s accounts can be hacked into within a matter of seconds. This is why it is important to keep different passwords for different websites. There are numerous password managers that can help you record and remember which password is needed for which account

5. Be wary of phishing scams

Be careful clicking on links in emails that may ask you to verify your password or to log in to a website. No matter how legitimate the mail appears to be, it could likely be a scam where your passwords and usernames are sent directly to the hackers. When in doubt, manually go to the website and log in, instead of heading to the link.

Use a VPN

Apart from these steps, make sure you use a VPN. Because if a hacker breaks into your network and gets hold of your data, a strong password will not keep them away. When a VPN, your data will be encrypted and thus will be almost unhackable.

Our top recommended vpn service providers for 2017 are:

• ExpressVPN
• NordVPN
• Buffered VPN

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