Ditch 123456 as password, for safety’s sake!
Passwords are a safeguard to protect your personal info
Readers, one of the best things you can do to stay safe online is setting up secure passwords for your online accounts.
By “secure,” we’re referring to something that hackers could not easily guess.
The goal is to protect your private information, and prevent someone else from accessing said information.
Yet every year, we hear about the worst most commonly used password, and every year, it’s unchanged: “123456.”
CNN reports that once again, that same password tops the list, which is perplexing.
The goal, readers, is to use something unique that someone with ill intent could not easily guess.
But look at this top 10 list:
1. 123456
2. 123456789
3. picture1
4. password
5. 12345678
6. 111111
7. 123123
8. 12345
9. 1234567890
10. senha
Now, before you start thinking that “senha” sounds like a great idea, CNN notes that while it’s new to the top 10 list this year, it’s also Portuguese for password. Go figure.
Passwords are tricky little beasts. You need to come up with something unique, that you will remember, but you need to avoid personal details like your phone number, birth date or name, CNN reports.
And, in theory, you should change your passwords every 90 days, use a mix of upper and lowercase letters, and have a different password for each of your accounts, CNN notes.
That’s a tall order. But it can be done, Yuma!
Think outside the box a bit. What about a favorite song lyric ?“A int No Sunshine When Sh es Gone” or “I Heard It Through The Grapevine” are great Mo town hits that would be easy to remember, and there are a million songs in the world – choose a few that speak to you.
Or do you have a personal goal? One possible option is“I Will Lose Five Pounds” or“I Will Stop Drinking Coffee .” By using your goals as your password, you are keeping them top of mind, which helps reinforce your efforts to achieve the goal.
Ultimately, once you find the perfect set of passwords, you still need to remember them. A notebook by the computer might help. Or, sign up for a password service to help store them and allow you to access them regardless of which computer or device you are using. We like LastPass, but there are several options out there, which can also make password suggestions to help ensure your digital security.
And really, readers, that’s what this is all about – keeping you and your information safe online.
Set aside some time and update your passwords. Don’t get caught out there with 123456 as your digital safeguard.
Unsigned editorials represent the viewpoint of this newspaper rather than an individual. Columns and letters to the editor represent the viewpoints of the persons writing them and do not necessarily represent the views of the Yuma Sun.