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Strengthen Your Security: How to Generate Strong Passwords

Learn how to generate strong passwords for enhanced protection and protect yourself from cybersecurity risks.

Nowadays, you need a password for just about anything online, from your Twitter to your online banking account. It acts as your first line of defense against cyber threats.

It's not just individual accounts that need passwords either. Businesses often fall prey to cyber attacks because of weak passwords and the absence of a strategically developed password policy. While strong passwords and secure passwords act as formidable deterrents against unauthorized access, random passwords and reused passwords practically give out all of your sensitive information.

So, what makes a password strong and how do you go about generating strong passwords? It’s not particularly difficult. In fact, it’s one of the easiest yet most powerful ways to secure your information. Here’s what you need to know about creating strong passwords.

A strong password enhances the security of your online accounts, protecting your sensitive information. A strong password has several factors that make it hard to break, including:

Strong passwords use more characters

Password length is more important than you think. Longer passwords mean more possible character combinations, which means an attacker would need more time and resources to crack it.

Strong passwords have a complex mix of characters

More characters with a mix of letters, numbers, and symbols increase the complexity of your password. That complexity reduces the chance of an attacker or software guessing your password.

Strong passwords use randomness and unpredictability

Password entropy is another crucial factor that makes a password strong. The more random the password, the less likely it is that an attacker can guess it based on things like personal information or common patterns.

Strong passwords are unique

A unique password stands alone and doesn’t exist elsewhere. In some cases, once an attacker learns a password, they can often use it to crack other accounts because people often reuse the same passwords.

Why do you need a strong password?

A strong password is crucial for safeguarding your online presence, protecting sensitive information, and reducing the risk of unauthorized access or data breaches. It enhances your overall security posture and helps maintain your privacy in an increasingly digital world.

According to Verizon's 2020 Data Breach Investigations Report, 80% of data breaches are linked to passwords. Some of the more common ways data breaches occur include the following:

Brute force attacks

In a brute force attack, the attacker tries every possible combination of characters until they find the correct password. This can take a long time depending on the length and complexity of the password. However, it will eventually succeed if you have a weak password.

Dictionary attacks

In a dictionary attack, the attacker uses a list of common words or phrases that are likely to be used as passwords. This can be faster than brute force attacks if the password is based on a word or phrase that is in the dictionary.

Credential stuffing

Credential stuffing occurs when an attacker leverages a database of compromised passwords obtained from previous data breaches and systematically tries them across various websites or applications. This approach proves particularly effective when you reuse passwords across multiple accounts.

Phishing attacks

In a phishing attack, the attacker sends an email or a message that looks legitimate. The message may prompt you to click on a link, redirect you to a fraudulent website, request your password, or suggest engaging in other actions that could compromise your sensitive information. In addition to tricking users into giving away their passwords, phishing attacks can also mislead people into installing malware.

Keylogging and spyware

Keylogging occurs when an attacker installs software on your device to secretly record every keystroke or monitor your online activity. It can capture your password when you type it in or visit a website. People often install this type of malware without even knowing it.

These common types of cyber attacks aren’t the only ones out there. To protect your business, brand, customers, clients, and yourself, having secure passwords is a must. Use a password generator tool to help you come up with complex passwords and a password manager to help you remember all your different passwords.

Besides, when it comes to setting up and marketing your business, incorporating robust security practices is crucial. Potential customers value a brand that prioritizes security. Additionally, your business may be obligated to comply with data protection laws that include password requirements.

How to generate a strong password

To generate strong passwords and strong password phrases, just look at what makes a strong password. Your passwords need to meet the criteria of length, complexity, unpredictability, and uniqueness.

Use sufficient length

A password of at least 12 characters makes it harder for an attacker to crack using brute force or dictionary attacks. A 12-character password takes 62 trillion times longer to crack than a six-character password.

Include a variety of characters

Every password should contain:

  • Uppercase letters
  • Lowercase letters
  • Numbers
  • Symbols

You can also use spaces, but they’re not always necessary or allowed by every platform.

No personal information

Avoid using any personal information in your password. Avoid using things like:

  • Names
  • Birthdays
  • Names of pets, celebrities, or brands
  • Favorite items or activities

Personal information makes cracking passwords a lot easier, especially if the attacker can easily find that personal information from online social media profiles or other places. For example, you might set up an Instagram for your business that reveals some personal details that anyone can see.

Avoid common words and phrases

Avoid using any common words or phrases in your password. Some of the more common things people tend to enter as passwords include:

  • password
  • 123456
  • qwerty
  • iloveyou

Avoid these types of passwords at all costs. Even alternative versions can be risky.

Randomness is key

When generating strong passwords, it is recommended to prioritize randomness. This adds an element of unpredictability, making it harder for attackers to guess your password based on patterns or associations. To achieve this, it is highly advisable to use a random password generator tool.

Strong password best practices

Generating a strong password is only the first step in ensuring your digital security. You also need to follow some best practices for managing and using your passwords:

Use password generators and password managers

A strong password generator tool can help you create random passwords that meet the criteria of length, complexity, unpredictability, and uniqueness. In fact, you can often set the criteria yourself when using these tools.

With these tools, you don’t have to remember a password or write it down. Some password managers also have additional features that can ease the process of using so many random passwords, such as autofill.

Don't reuse passwords

Don’t use the same password for different websites or services, especially those that involve sensitive information such as banking, email, or social media. If one of your accounts gets compromised, an attacker can use the same password to access other accounts that use it.

Update your passwords regularly

Don’t keep using the same password for too long, as it may become outdated or exposed in a data breach. Change your passwords at least every three to six months. You should also change passwords if you learn of a data breach to a service or business you use. Also, you can change your password on a whim, and there’s nothing wrong with that.

Enable two-factor or multi-factor authentication

Two-factor authentication (2FA) and multi-factor authentication (MFA) add an extra layer of security to your online accounts by requiring you to enter another piece of information besides your password when logging in. This could be a code sent to your phone, an email link, a fingerprint scan, or a physical device such as a USB key. According to Microsoft, MFA blocks 99.9% of all attacks.

For a business, it’s imperative that you choose a strong password generator and management solution sooner rather than later. While you’re busy rolling out the next big thing or making sure you hit every point on your SEO checklist, also make sure that your systems have strong passwords so that your efforts aren’t easily fouled by a data breach or cyber attack.

4 popular password management tools

There are many tools available online that can help you generate and manage secure passwords. Here is a quick look at four of the most popular ones.

LastPass

LastPass is one of the most popular and trusted password managers in the market. It allows you to create, store, and autofill strong passwords for all your online accounts. It also has features such as secure notes, password sharing, emergency access, and dark web monitoring.

1Password

1Password is another well-known and reliable password manager that lets you create, store, and autofill strong passwords for all your online accounts. It also has features such as secure notes, password sharing, watchtower (breach alerts), and travel mode (hide sensitive data when crossing borders).

NordPass

NordPass is a relatively new but promising password manager from the makers of NordVPN. It allows you to create, store, and autofill strong passwords for all your online accounts. It also has features such as secure notes, password sharing, data breach scanner (dark web monitoring), and biometric authentication (face ID/fingerprint).

iCloud Keychain

iCloud Keychain is Apple’s built-in password manager for iOS and macOS devices. It allows you to create, store, and autofill strong passwords for all your online accounts across Apple devices.

Other solutions exist as well, even self-hosted ones. They can all generate secure password strings. You can look at these offerings to see what’s possible and make a more informed decision about what you or your business would like in a password management solution.

Many password managers have enterprise editions as well as server, desktop, and mobile offerings. So, keep that in mind as well, especially if your business relies on one type of device more than another.

Keep your data safe with strong passwords

Strong passwords protect you, your business, your brand, and the community of others who surround those things. Using strong passwords can help with a large chunk of your cybersecurity measures and typically costs the least to implement. Nevertheless, there’s more to cybersecurity than passwords alone. For example, you may want to know how to secure your website or how to create a website that includes secure practices from the start.

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