Are Hackers Able to Guess Your Passwords Easily? Here’s the Secret to Crafting Invincible Passwords!

Do you know that more than 80% of cybersecurity breaches happen due to bad password management? In fact, cybersecurity experts estimate that attackers can successfully crack over 90% of passwords in less than six hours.

With data breaches becoming increasingly frequent and large-scale, password protection has become more critical than ever. Despite this, people’s online accounts and devices are still vulnerable to cyber-criminals.

But don’t worry; you don’t need to be an IT expert to create invincible passwords. With simple tips and tricks, you can craft a password that is easy to remember yet challenging to crack.

Use Complex Passwords

Well-known terms such as “password123,” “qwerty,” and “123456” are easy to hack. To create an ultra-secure password, make sure it has a minimum of 8 characters, including upper and lowercase letters, numbers, and special characters.

Don’t Use Personal Information

Many people mistakenly believe that including their name, family member’s name, or pet’s name in their password makes it more secure. Attackers can easily obtain this information by scouring your social media profiles and other online data.

Change Your Passwords Frequently

While it might seem like a hassle, periodically changing your password on all your accounts is a smart way to keep your data safe. Update passwords every few months or when you receive a notification of a potential data breach.

Use Two-Factor Authentication

Using two-factor authentication adds an additional layer of security to your accounts. This process requires you to input your password and another form of identification, like a fingerprint, one-time password, or facial recognition.

Don’t Use the Same Password for Multiple Accounts

Individually designing unique passwords for each account is tiring. It’s easier to use the same password for multiple accounts, but this also makes it easier for hackers to obtain your details. If your password for one account is compromised, your other accounts will be just as exposed.

Final Thoughts

Remember that password security is everyone’s responsibility. Invest in a password manager that can manage your passwords across all your accounts. With effective password management techniques, you can rest assured that your data is secure from unauthorized access.

In conclusion, never underestimate the importance of a strong password. By creating complex, unique passwords and combining them with two-factor authentication, you can keep your sensitive information safe and secure from cyber-criminals. Stay safe!

You might not need that meaningless string of letters and numbers you’ve made up for your passwords. 

Key Takeaways

  • A three-word system for passwords can be effective at deterring hackers, experts say. Avoid your child’s or pet’s names, birth date, street names, or anything else that could be easy to find on a public site as a password. The most secure option is to use a multi-factor authentication tool.

Britain’s National Cyber Security Centre recently said a three-word system for passwords can be effective at deterring hackers.  The word combinations are easier to remember than random passwords. But outside experts say that you still need to be vigilant about how you create your passwords. 

“People should avoid using words that are very simple or obvious,” Jim Gogolinski, a vice president at the cybersecurity firm iboss, told Lifewire in an email interview. “For instance, Password123 isn’t a great password. Additionally, with so many people posting updates of their lives on social media sites, it’s important not to use a word that can be easily tied to you.”

Avoid your child’s or pet’s names, birth date, street names, or anything else that could be easy to find on a public site, Gogoglinski said, adding that “a password should be unique to the individual, but hard to crack.”

Patterns Are Your Enemy

In a recent blog post, the National Cyber Security Centre said that hackers target common methods intended to make passwords more complex. For example, many users exchange the letter O with a zero or the number one with an exclamation mark.

Software that cybercriminals use is programmed to look out for common password patterns, rendering them ineffective. 

“Counterintuitively, the enforcement of these complexity requirements results in the creation of more predictable passwords,” the agency wrote.

However, there’s an easy fix to the password complexity problem. Passwords made up of three random words are usually longer and harder to predict, the Centre said. Hacking programs typically have a harder time cracking these word combinations. 

“Using memorable phrases that are associated with the site or service is totally fine, especially if using a password tool is not something you like to do,” Daniel Markuson, a digital privacy expert at cybersecurity firm NordVPN, told Lifewire in an email interview.

“Avoid using your ‘username’ or personal information that could be easily Googled in your passwords, and of course, a simple sequence of letters and numbers is almost worse than no password at all.”

Not All Passwords Are Equal

Some cybersecurity experts had caveats about the Security Centre’s recommendation to use words instead of characters. 

Passwords made up of words are easier to remember than random complex strings of letters, but it’s important that the password is still long and complicated, Joseph Carson, chief security scientist at cybersecurity firm Thycotic, told Lifewire in an email interview.  

“It is imperative to note that the recommendation is to combine multiple words together as it will make the password long but also easier to remember,” he added.   

…a simple sequence of letters and numbers is almost worse than no password at all.”

The longer the word combination, while continuing to include special characters, will make it more difficult for password cracking techniques to be successful, Carson pointed out. 

Words are better than randomized passwords because they can be easily remembered instead of being written down, Tyler Shields, chief marketing officer of cybersecurity firm JupiterOne, told Lifewire in an email interview. 

“If you must use a password, get a password manager and use very complex, difficult to guess, randomly generated passwords via those tools,” Shields said. 

The most secure option is to use a multi-factor authentication tool, an electronic authentication method in which a user is granted access to a website or application only after successfully presenting two or more pieces of evidence, experts say. 

“With multi-factor authentication, you get a new password every time you need it,”  James Arlen, a security expert at cloud data firm Aiven, told Lifewire in an email interview. “It’s much harder to guess a password that changes every minute.”

Many browsers have built-in password generators, such as Google Chrome, pointed out Jacqueline Lowy, CEO of the private intelligence firm Sourced Intelligence. Otherwise, pick a random string of 3-4 words and replace characters to make them more secure. 

“It could be lyrics from a favorite poem, a nursery rhyme you sing to your kids or even a phrase that combines languages,” Lowy told Lifewire in an email interview. “Be creative, and make sure you use different passwords across all platforms.”

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