Password challenges and changes—a necessary step
It was not in the so-distant past that I can remember the first time I had to use a password to set up an email system.
Today, my entire world depends on passwords to unlock financial documents, retirement plans, health insurance, and spam filters. At last count I have 15 applications that depend on passwords. Some of them have an additional step—requiring a text message to enter a passcode. I am thankful for heightened security. I fully understand the need for updating them.
However, changing the passwords does mean logging the changes so a previous one is not re-used. I don’t know others, but I have found that recording them is not always easy. When I have to change a password—when I’m away from my office—well, it is not always easy to remember to re-write the change. However, I have listened to webinars from people I trust—like local police and county sheriff’s departments—who have full-time officers whose main duties are to catch fraudsters.
It is necessary because unsuspecting residents let those criminals in their front door of their computer or other devices. The elderly may be the most susceptible, but any of us who rely on electronic devices are just as likely to be victims.
According to cyber-security company McAfee.com, it is important to take a look at your system. Here is some helpful points from the company’s website to share.
How to create a strong password
A good password can make it more difficult for hackers to access your accounts. But what exactly makes a strong password? Here are a few criteria.
- It’s used only for one account. While it can be easy to use similar passwords for multiple accounts, hackers might be able to get into your other online accounts if they access just one.
- It’s at least 12 characters long. To make it easy to remember, use a lyric from a song or poem (for example, “andtherocketsredglare”). Or make an abbreviation from the words in a sentence (changing “the quick brown fox jumped over the lazy dog in the backyard” to “tqbfjotlditb,” for instance).
- It’s a complex password. Include at least one capital letter, one number, and one symbol. A computer can guess a password with eight letters immediately. But a 12-character password with at least one uppercase and one lowercase letter, number, and a special character would take 34,000 years to crack. Some sites allow users to create a passphrase. That’s a string of words that can be up to 100 characters long.
- It’s hard to guess. Don’t use information that people who know you or look at your social media can guess. Avoid personal information like your nickname or initials, birthday, address or street name, or a child’s or pet’s name.
- It doesn’t use common words like “password” or “qwerty.” You’d be surprised how many people use “password123” or “123456” as a password. A cybercriminal would not.
While changing passwords is not something I enjoy doing, I have learned that having a good routine, while annoying at times, makes sense moving forward.
Dave Bergmeier can be reached at 620-227-1822 or [email protected].
PHOTO: User typing login and password. (Adobe Stock │ #570571030 – TStudious)
