Stupid Password Tricks
Do you have a bunch of passwords that you have to change on a regular basis? Do they have to meet certain requirements? Do you want them to be easy to remember but hard to crack? Then, the tricks shown below may help.
Special thanks to the guys at ESET for these tips. They make my favorite anti-virus solution: NOD32. They also produce regular podcasts about security. The tips shown below come from the recent IRS Failure episode.
Length is more important than complexity. According to ESET, a simple 20 character password composed of all lower case letters is harder to crack than an 8 character password with letters, numbers, and a symbol.
Use math to create your password. Something like 300+500=800 or better yet threehundredplusfivehundredequalseighthundred. If you really want to make it hard you can even make the answer incorrect like threehundredplusfivehundredequalssixhundred.
Use a phrase. Not only is it hard to crack but it can be easier to type. So you could use a phrase like ilovetechrest or braveswintheseries.
Add spaces. Many people write down their passwords. Bad idea but I understand why people do it. If you are one of those, you may want to add three spaces to the end of your password. If you do that, even if someone sees it, when they try to use it, it won't work.
What are your favorite password tricks?
See also
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