A lot is at stake when it comes to password security. If your password gets hacked, not only could an intruder have access to your personal information, but they could also directly impact your various accounts. This is why you need to think of a more robust password that hackers and other people can’t easily decipher. Here at 101 Data Solutions, we work with leading Domain-based Message Authentication Reporting and Conformance providers (DMARC), but we still believe it is essential to reflect upon the security of your password because a strong password is the first line of defence. In addition, Microsoft dropped their password expiration policy because it was concerned that forcing users to change passwords too frequently would cause them to employ simple, predictable ones, so here’s how you can create a strong and secure password. 

Create passwords with at least eight characters 

This is a simple but vital step to take when creating passwords. Simply put, the longer your password is, the stronger it is. This is because the longer your password is, the harder it is to break. So, the more characters you have in your password, the better. When creating your password, ensure it is at least eight characters long. The only caveat to this rule is that you should avoid creating extremely long passwords, as this can make it harder for you to remember.  

Use a combination of uppercase and lowercase letters 

Adding uppercase and lowercase letters to your password is another way to increase security. This makes your password harder to crack as it is not just a sequence of letters but a pattern of letters.  

Add in some symbols too 

While using letters to create your passwords is important, adding a few symbols can also help increase its strength. No matter how strong your password is, there is always the chance that someone can try to brute force crack it. Brute force cracking is when a computer tries every possible combination to get into your account. To prevent this, you can add symbols to your password to make the process much harder for the computer. Choose a couple of symbols, like !, $, and &, and add them to your password to make it stronger. 

Don’t re-use passwords 

While re-using passwords may seem like a good idea at the time, it is a practice that you must avoid. Re-using passwords is one of the easiest ways to lose control of your accounts. If someone manages to crack your password and gain access to one of your accounts, they can easily access all of your accounts. Moreover, there is always the chance that the same password can get hacked and can cause damage to multiple accounts. While it is understandable that you might want to re-use passwords for a couple of your accounts, try to avoid re-using them for various accounts. 

Create stronger passwords by using a password manager 

If you’re looking for ways to create stronger passwords, we recommend using a password manager. Password managers are digital tools that let you store all of your passwords in one secure place. With this, you only have to remember one master password to get access to all of your accounts. In addition, password managers have security features that let you choose even stronger passwords. You can even set your password manager to alert you when you accidentally re-use a password. This way, you can easily stop yourself from making a mistake that could get you in trouble. 101 Data Solutions offer an enhanced version of the typical password manager or password vault. Known as enterprise password management, this solution is ideal for keeping your corporate passwords safe. As people leave and projects change, the password management software allows you to change or remove passwords in real-time. The best practice for password management is creating, rotating, monitoring, and eliminating passwords with no disruption to people’s work and no downtime for your systems.

Include numbers as well 

If you want to strengthen your password, you can add numbers to your passwords. While you might think that numbers don’t add much security to your password, they do. Adding numbers to the end or beginning of your password can make your password much stronger. Depending on the website, you can add both single and double numbers. Simply find out what the website requires for your password and add them accordingly. 

Disable auto-login 

One of the easiest ways for someone to hack into your account is if you’re automatically logged in. If you’re logged in to one of your accounts, anyone can access your account as long as they have your IP address. You can easily prevent this by disabling auto-login. Unfortunately, this means you have to log into your account whenever you want to use it. While this might be annoying, it’s a great way to keep your accounts safe. 

Add two-factor authentication 

Two-factor authentication is an advanced security feature that many sites now offer. This means you must enter a code that the website sends to your phone when you log in. This makes it much harder for someone to hack into your account because they don’t have your password—they also need your phone. This is a great way to protect your accounts from hackers. 

About Brett Edgecombe, Managing Director, 101 Data Solutions

Even as a child living in Canada, Brett always had an interest in technology, so starting his career within the technology industry was a natural progression in 1998 when it began at the UK’s first ISP, Compuserve Interactive Services in Bristol.   

He has first-hand experience in modern Enterprise Storage Infrastructure solutions, having worked at Sun Microsystems in 2000, where he worked with large commercial and education customers across the UK.   

Brett created 101 Data Solutions in 2008 with a focus on Data Storage centric delivered through high-quality technology solutions direct to businesses throughout the UK. His strategic vision and sector knowledge allows him to bring excellence to 101’s customers through experience, technical foresight and relationship building.