Today is World Password Day: the ideal day to get creative and come up with the best passwords ever. Here are 5 tips from Safeonweb.
1. Choose a strong password
A strong password is a long password. Anything over 13 characters is good. Create a mix of lowercase, uppercase, numbers and special characters and you'll have the perfect password.
The most commonly used passwords are still: 123456, 123456789, qwerty, password or 11111 (UK Cybersurvey, 2019).
2. Use multiple passwords
Do not use the same password everywhere. Use different passwords for different accounts.
15% of Belgians use only one password. (Safeonweb, DGI 2018)
3. Use a password safe
Remembering passwords is quite a task. Use an online password safe or a 'password manager'. You'll find them in all shapes and sizes, free or for a fee.
Only 16% of Belgians use a password safe. You can do better than that. (Safeonweb, DGI 2018)
4. Use 2 step verification (two-factor authentication or 2FA)
Two-step verification uses a password in combination with something you have (e.g. a mobile phone) or something you 'are' (e.g. fingerprint). In the first step, you log into your account using your password (Facebook, Twitter, Google, Microsoft, etc.). In the second step, for example, the account sends a code to your mobile phone, which you have to enter to gain access to your account.
39% of Belgians use 2FA occasionally or frequently. Not bad, but there's still room for improvement. (Safeonweb, DGI 2018)
5. Don't let anyone in on your password
Sharing passwords is never a good idea. You never know what happens to your password and abuse is never far away. Don't stick a post-it with your password on your screen. It is also not safe to keep passwords in an e-mail or in a document on your computer or smartphone.
