"Apparently I can’t use beef stew as a password. I was told it’s not stroganoff." 
All joking aside – today is World Password Day. It's a day that is recognized on the first Thursday of May every year and is a day dedicated in promoting safe password practices, that result in safekeeping your data.
As an MSP, we recommend putting some time and effort into your passwords, as they are the things stopping someone from stealing your information and/or impersonating you. Most websites and apps have certain specifications you should integrate into your password, but why stop there? Hackers are becoming smarter and more efficient while you are still following the basic guidelines. Everyone has heard the basic uppercase/lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols, but here are some ideas that you can incorporate for a stronger password:
- Avoid common words, like "password" or "Welcome123" Use abbreviations, shortcuts, nicknames, and acronyms. Misspell as much as possible.
- Use phrases or sentences: This could be a line from your favorite movie or something your mom always says. For example: “Toto, I have a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore.” = “22!hafwniKSa.”
- Avoid common keyboard paths: Refrain from using letters in line with each other on the keyboard, such as “qwerty” or "12345678"
- Don't use personal information, such as your name, birthday, address,or phone number.
- Log off when you are done with a program or leaving a secure site.
Another thing to remember is to use a different password for each site and app. Studies show that individuals will use six passwords for 24 accounts and 50% of those passwords are 5+ years old. Using these practices along with the required specifications will help in making your password more secure. World Password Day is the perfect opportunity for you to check your passwords and change an old password to a long, strong one.
