How to Choose a Strong Password

Using strong passwords and using a different password for each account or application is extremely important for securing your identity and financial information online. Coming up with a strong password means creating a password that is difficult to determine by password hacking programs but easy for you to remember when you log into your account. Strong passwords are important for protecting your passwords from hackers.

What is A Strong Password?

A strong password is a password that contains a group of combined letters and numbers and, in some cases, symbols that make up a lengthy password that is difficult for hackers to guess with hacking software. A strong password should be in excess of 14 characters combining letters, numbers, and symbols. Although it is ideal to use everything that is available on your keyboard, some programs limit your password to a specified number of characters so it is best to make the most of the restrictions.

If the program allows passwords that are case sensitive, you can combine upper case with lower case letter combinations and then place a few symbols into the mix. Also avoid using proper words, since password hacking programs are capable of trying every word in the dictionary to guess your password. Also, try not to use a password that only contains the letters of the alphabet for the same reason.

What Is a Weak Password?

A weak password is a word that can easily be guessed by a password hacking program. Examples of a weak password would be "pass" or "make_money" or simply all of the letters included in one of the rows of your keyboard, such as "zxcvbnm" on the bottom row.

How to Choose a Strong Password

Strong passwords contain a mixture of all of the letters, numbers, and symbols that are available on your keyboard. They can consist of a random mixture of symbols or a combination of random symbols letters, and numbers.

For example, if you come up with a sentence that is easy for you to remember such as "My favorite hobby is hiking." You can take out the spaces and add in uppercase and lower case letters such as, myFavorIteHobByishiKing and then add some symbols into the mix like, myFavorite#HobBy%ishiKing&.

When you are finished you can also test the strength of your password by logging onto the Microsoft website and entering your password into the password checker. Also, remember not to store your password on your PC's hard drive and come up with a different password combination for every account to protect your passwords.

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With the advent of wireless Internet, more and more computer users are entering the world of cyber space.

Yet, while these users are well aware of the importance of the protection of their computer when hooked up to regular internet providers, they are often oblivious to the fact that the same cyber dangers, and in fact even more, exist in the world of WiFi.

What you may not know is that same Internet connection that makes it possible to check your email from the comfort of your bed also makes it easier for hackers to access your personal information.

It is for this reason, the sharing of the wireless Internet connection, that protecting your computer when wireless is even more important than ever before.