More on Passwords

OK, so how do you build a strong password? 

Start with a normal phrase that means something to only you so yu can remember it.  Do not use common quotes from books or other cultural artifacts.  Write it down, including spaces.

For example, if the phrase you use is:

Super best phrase of pass that only I can remember

Add capitalization in odd places

SupEr best pHrase of paSs that Only I caN remember

Add numbers

SupEr7best90 pH32rase of paSs th00at Only I c4aN rem9ember

Add special characters (!#$)(*&%<>?":{}][,./;@).

SupE$r7best90 pH32&rase" of paSs: th00at 0,nly I c4aN re;m9ember

That looks too hard for me to remember so I'll simply

SupE$r best90 paSs:

I'll type it into a window that will not save my work but will allow me to read what I have typed a few times to engage muscle memory.

SupE$rtest90paSs:

After typing it a few times, I have an idea of how I usually mess up typing the passphrase, which I use as part of my memory of how to type out the passphrase.  Destroy the written copy of this password-generation process that we started with.  Now you have a strong passphrase that you can remember. 

More Cyber Security

Here's some thought on what you can do to make sure your passwords are strong.  Avoid the following:

•  using your user name
•  using the same passoword with just a different digit
•  using other easily guessable aspects to your password.

Instead, use a passphrase.  A passphrase is a sentecy that you can early remember.  The longer your passphrase, the stronger it is.  Making your passphrase strong can limit the success of humans and/or computers in guessing your passphrase.  Using only simple sentences is becoming less effective with the decreasing cost of consumer graphic cards, which allow approxminate 8,810,000 encrypted password hashes (how domain user's passwords are stored in Active Directory) to be attempted each second!   

Cybersecurity

October is national cybersecurity awareness month.  Accordingly, here is a tip for securing your electronic data.

Use strong passwords.  Passwords are naturally subject to many different attacks.  Shared password conventions can increase the likelihood of passwords being guessed.  Shorter passwords of dictionary words with few or predictable numbers (e.g., the year) and not using all types of complexity are easily cracked with freely available tools and inexpensive graphic cards.

More in next blog posting...................