World Password Day – 7 Tips For Better Password Security

If you think your passwords need to be stronger, you’re not alone.

A recent PCMag survey of 1,000 U.S. consumers (conducted at the end of April) shows that 19 percent of people use their name or initials in their passwords, 16 percent use their wedding date, 15% use the name of a family member, and 12% use include their birth year or home address. All risky practices.

To celebrate World Password Day today, here are our top 7 tips for better password security:

  • Use only strong passwords. Never include personal information such as birth year, name/initials, etc. Use a strong password generator if needed.
  • Don’t re-use passwords. Create a separate, unique password for each of your accounts.
  • Use a password manager (our favorite is LastPass) to securely store passwords.
  • Never send passwords through e-mail. If you must transmit a password, use a secure, encrypted app such as Signal.
  • Choose a strong username, as well as password. For WordPress sites, the default admin username is often “admin”. If you don’t change it, you’re giving away 50% of your password combination. Choose a strong username that includes words and numerals.
  • Never log in to your accounts over public wi-fi or unsecured networks
  • Set your device’s password-protected screensaver to lock after a prescribed number of minutes.

Happy World Password Day!