Wednesday, April 20, 2011

5. Strong Passwords (How to Create and Use Them)

A strong password is essential to any PC user who wants to protect their important information, such as their email and bank account information.  The best way to create a strong password is to choose a password that is 14 characters or more, including a variety of characters.  It is best to use letters, numbers, punctuation characters, and symbols, choosing from all over the keyboard, rather than just a small area.  It is important not to choose anything that is too short or too obvious, such as your own name or the name of a loved one, especially if you do not incorporate numbers or symbols.  You should change your password regularly in order to achieve maximum security.

It may be difficult to remember a password that is 14 characters that contains symbols and numbers, so here are some steps to create one that you can remember:


        Choose a sentence or two that are meaningful to you,
        Use only the first letter of each word to create the password,
        Capitalize letters based on a certain pattern,
        add symbols and punctuation.








http://www.microsoft.com/security/online-privacy/passwords-create.aspx

No comments:

Post a Comment