Passwords have become the most important part of anything to do with computers and smart phones.
While many people do not believe that it is important to password a SmartPhone they need to remind themselves that their phone probably contains access to their life:
Bank Accounts
Personal Files
Work Files
Financial Records
E-Mail
Documents
What would happen if someone stole your phone or found it should you loose it?
Here are some basic tips which can help you protect your e-mail, your home and work desktops, and your SmartPhone or tablet:
Choose a Secure Password: Passwords are your first line of defense in setting up your protection against fraud and the loss of confidential information, but few people choose passwords that are truly secure.
Make your password as long as possible: The longer a password is, the harder it is to guess or to find by trying all possible combinations (IE: via a brute force attack). Passwords of 14 characters or more are vastly more difficult to crack.
Use different types of characters: Include numbers, punctuation marks, symbols, and uppercase and lowercase letters.
Don’t use words that are in dictionaries: Don’t use words, names or place names that are usually found in dictionaries. Hackers frequently use a dictionary attacks (IE: trying all the words in the dictionary automatically) to crack these passwords.
Don’t use personal information: Others are likely to know information such as your birthday, the name of your partner or child, or your phone number, and they might guess that you have used them as a password.
Don’t use your username: Don’t use a password that is the same as your user name or account number.
Use passwords that are difficult to identify as you type them in: Make sure that you don’t use repeated characters or keys close together on the keyboard.
Consider using a passphrase: A passphrase is a string of words, rather than a single word. Unlikely combinations of words can be hard to guess.
Try to memorize your password: Memorize your password rather than writing it down. Use a string of characters that is meaningful to you, or use mnemonic devices to help you recall the password. There are good free programs available that will help you manage your passwords.
Reputed password management programs can help you choose unique passwords, encrypt them and store them securely on your computer. Examples include KeePass, Robo Form and, 1 Password.
If you write down your password, keep it in a secure place: Don’t keep passwords attached to your computer or in any easily accessible place.
Use different passwords for each account: If a hacker cracks one of your passwords, at least only one account has been compromised.
Don’t tell anyone else your password: If you receive a request to confirm your password, even if it appears to be from a trust worthy institution or someone within your organization, you should never disclose your password.
Don’t use your password on a public computer: Don’t enter your password on a publicly available computer (IE: in a hotel or internet café). Such computers may not be secure and may have keystroke loggers installed.
Change your passwords regularly: The shorter or simpler your password is, the more often you should replace it.
