7 Things to Keep In Mind When Creating a Password

Is your password strong enough? It is important to have a strong password to keep your web accounts and computer safe. I decided to write this because my twitter account got hacked. My account started spamming 150 followers I had at that time. My followers started to unfollow me. Then I changed my password. The tweets stopped. But the tweets already sent remained there. I had to use some tool on the internet to delete my previous tweets. I thought why has all this hassle when you can stay safe if you be a little careful. Let me share some tips to help you.

How to create a strong password?

You have two options when creating a password. The choice is yours: 

        1.  Use something that is related to you. E.g. like your name, phone number etc.

Most of the people use these kinds of passwords. It is easier to remember, right? But it will be easier for others to guess your password. If your friend tried to find your password they could find it within a few tries. No one wants others to break your privacy. So let's not use these types of passwords. What I trying to say was we want security and something that stays in mind. I'm not saying to say no to these passwords, we have to give it a twist! Let me explain:
When creating a password related to you add something like a word, a number, a symbol etc. For example, see this:
Name: Friwiz

Start date: 10-10-2011 (not sure about the date ;)

friwiz11, friwiz10, f10102011z, friwiz@blog etc.

That's how we mix up our names and make something easier to remember. There no way others going guess your password if you use a similar password. How're we going to make this kind of password? That's where Spinxo.com comes to help. For the ones who don't know, it is a website allows you to create usernames for you to use all over the web. It is a free service. And you don't have to waste time for signing up or anything. They show a form to type in keywords. They all are optional. So you can enter your details in and hit the Spin (or whatever they call it) button. If you don't find something of your interest, click on the spin button again. Just choose one as your password. There you have it, the password you have been looking all your life!

Now let's have a look at the other type of passwords: 

     2.  Use something that has no relation to you

I don't have to explain this, right? Some people prefer to use these kinds of passwords for more security. But the chances of forgetting it are very high. For the social accounts you can always recover it with the e-mail. That too just doesn't sound good enough!

Some people like it that way. You can use Spinxo to create passwords. You don't have to worry about forgetting it you can use some tool to save password. Never save them in text file or something like that! Most of the web browsers allow saving passwords so you don't have to bother about it. Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox allows to create an account and to use the data like bookmarks, passwords etc in any computer or device. In Mozilla Firefox you can also set a master password which makes your saved passwords safe.

Now you have an awesome password. Now let me brief and share some additional tips:

Tip #1 Creation Method
Even though I explained these two methods, I prefer the first method.

Tip #2 Password Lengths
When creating web accounts they will ask you to make passwords according to their rules for more security (like adding a number, a symbol etc.). Whatever they say, the best length for passwords are 8-20 characters.

Tip #3 Must haves
A password must include a number, a symbol and a word you will never forget.

Tip #4 Repetition
Don't use same password everywhere. Include a little change everywhere. For example, if you have f10102011z@facebook on Facebook, then you can use f10102011z@twitter for twitter and so on.

Tip #5 Try to avoid
Try to avoid spelling mistakes (consciously or unknowingly) words in passwords. Don't use both upper case and lower case at the same time. So you can avoid confusion later.

Tip #6 The Universal Law of Passwords
Never share passwords with others, not with anyone. Never write it down thinking you will forget the password. Instead save it on the web browser/password manager add on with a master password. If you have shared passwords with anyone else, change the passwords even if you trust them. You know, people change! Then you can guess what will happen when passwords do not change!

Tip #7 Life of a Password
If you find anything wrong with your accounts, immediately change passwords. Like I read somewhere, "Passwords are like toothbrushes, you have to change them every 6 months!"

Now you know how to make a perfect password. Now head over to your favorite social networks and change those old passwords. Don't forget to follow me on those social networks. Help your friends be safe on the internet by sharing this article. What do you think about this article? I would love to hear from you. Share your views in the comments.