How many times has this happened to you? You forgot a password. First you try your favorite one, the one you told to only about 30 people in the past year. When that does not work, you reset the password. The E-mail arrives, and you click on the link. Now we have to deal with security questions. Where did you grow up? Hmm. Does that mean where was I born? Maybe it means my teenage years?
I’m sure that many of you are reading this and thinking, “This just happened to me!” The fact is, it’s a lot more confusing than this. Some companies don’t allow symbols. Some require numbers and capital letters and some need to be changed every 2 weeks. It can become a nightmare trying to remember them all, so much so that there are companies and apps that offer to help you remember your password. Really? I should pay a company to remember my password?
Let’s go back a step. What is a password? A password is the one item that the most security conscious company is unable to protect. RossBackup uses 256-AES security. Top of the line! However, if you share your password with your neighbor, they will now have access to everything. No matter how good security is, not having a good password, or sharing it with others, makes it all useless. Let’s go through some “Do’s and Don’ts” and then I’ll give you some cool password creation tips.
The "DO" Section.
Use different passwords for different sites. I know it’s annoying but do it anyway.
Mix in numbers, symbols and capital letters. It's not that bad.
Tell the truth for the security questions. If your first kiss was at 13, put that in. We're not judging you.
Use the same E-maill address whenever possible.
The "DON'T" section
Write your password down. Even if you mix the letter around. Don’t do it.
Tell people your password. Even your friends.
Use the “Hint” section for an actual hint. (My friend uses the word “incorrect” as his password. That way if he types in the wrong password, the computer tells him “Your password is incorrect.”
Use the word “password” as your actual password. (Had to put that in.)
Use common life events (Birthdays, anniversaries, etc.) as passwords.
Some Cool Ideas.
It’s best to pick a common denominator as a password. For example, if your name is Shannon, you can use $h@nn0N at the beginning. You can add in a clue for the next part. If it’s a banking site, you can put another “$” in, if it’s social media a “#” and if it’s E-mail “@”. Follow that up with the first and last letter of the first word. To put the cherry on top, put the number of leter in the first word at the end. Bank of America? It would be Sh@nn0N$bk4 which is pretty secure. Facebook? Sh@nnoN#fk8. Keep in mind, that some sites might not allow you to use the 2 n’s. Using this method, you can develop an easy and secure way to keep track of your passwords while staying pretty secure.
Are you interested in keeping your files secure? Our RossBackup VIP package allows you to lock your files until your password is entered, giving you additional security if your laptop is stolen. You choose the password, we’ll do the rest. Stay Safe!