When dealing with a website, there are many security aspects which should be taken into consideration. One which is perhaps the most well known but also the least understood is the use of a username and password. Choosing a thoroughly unique strong login password is essential for site security and is one of the easiest precautions to take. Using common or simple passwords can lead hackers to easily breach into a website and steal valuable information such as credit card numbers, social security numbers, and other vital personal demographics and statistics.
Typically, when an account is started, the host will assign a username and initial password in order for you to enter and start the account. Unfortunately, many of these initial passwords are quite weak although a good host will ensure that it is complicated enough to avoid easy hacking. One of the first things you should do in these situations is change your given password to something that you can remember but cannot be easily guessed by either a hacker or a malicious program which may encounter and attempt to break into your site and access your information. It is often all too easy to illegally gain access to individuals’ websites as the sad fact is that the majority of users do not use secure passwords.
Most hackers are not these incredibly intelligent individuals that you see on TV. Instead, many are relying on the fact that you have not taken the time to change your password into something that cannot be easily cracked. Instead, they go on the assumption that you have not changed it from its default or that you have chosen something simple so as to facilitate memorization.
There are several items to consider when creating a password. The first item which should be avoided is using either the name of the site or your domain name as a password. This is usually the first thing that a hacker will try. Also, as obvious as it sounds, many individuals use the word “password” as their password. This is absolutely taboo. Some people attempt to get around this by using a derivation of the world such as “p@$$w0rd” but this is also very simple to guess. Do not use a series of numbers or a series of letters, and do not use any word that is commonly associated with yourself that could be easily discovered. And most of all, do not make your password the same as your username.
Now that you have been told what not to do, here’s a list of things which you should do to create a highly secure password. Choose a mixture of uppercase letters, lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols when forming your password and attempt to make a seemingly nonsensical series which will not occur to a hacker or password cracking program.
Keep in mind that changing your password only takes a matter of seconds and could constitute the difference between security and any number of problems from theft to stolen identity.
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