Broker Check

858-251-2420

The Three Keys to a Great Password

The three keys to a great password. You’ve probably heard the old rules for setting a strong password: use a capital letter, a number, a special symbol, and be sure to change it often. As it turns out, many commonly-accepted guidelines aren’t actually as secure as we once thought. Still, passwords are often the only thing standing between you and identity theft. Remembering to “Abide, Avoid, and Avail Yourself” when setting a password can save you some major headaches down the road. Key #1: Abide by the New NIST Standards. The National Institute of Standards and Technology has established some new rules for setting more secure passwords: Stay away fromn special characters. Make your passwords longer. Avoid Password Hints or Reset Questions. Don’t repeat a string of the same letter or number. Leave out your username or service name Key #2: Avoid Using the Same Password More than Once. By using the same password on multiple services, you are giving potential hackers access to every service where you’re using that password. This is like having a single key that opens your house, your car, and your bank’s safety deposit box. If someone steals that key, they can access everything you own. Always create different keys, or passwords, for separate accounts. Key #3: Avail Yourself of a Password Manager. A password management tool is your number one ally in helping keep your passwords secure. These tools can create a unique password for you on each of your accounts, and automatically remember it for you. Some will even sync with your browser or smartphone to auto-populate your password when you need it, saving you the trouble of typing it. Talk about easy! The world wide web holds many perils, but smart password practices can go a long way toward potecting yourself from the worst of them. SOURCE: The National Institute of Standards and Technology, 2019