How to choose a strong password

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A good password is the cornerstone of your security in any computer profile or online account. If your password fails you, it could mean a loss of important information, a violation of your privacy, or even a significant loss of money. With this in mind, PC Tech for Hire would like to offer the following tips to help assure that your accounts are protected by a password that is capable of foiling unscrupulous users.
Avoid Lazy Passwords
A good password should be at least eight characters, preferably with a mix of letters and numbers. Far too many people end up using the same passwords, which makes them very easy targets for hackers. Look at some of the most common passwords to make sure you’re not using one of them:

1. 123456
2. password
3. 12345678
4. qwerty
5. abc123
6. 123456789
7. 111111
8. 1234567
9. iloveyou
10. adobe123
11. 123123
12. admin
13. 1234567890
14. letmein
15. photoshop
16. 1234
17. monkey
18. shadow
19. sunshine
20. 12345
21. password1
22. princess
23. azerty
24. trustno1
25. 000000

Ideally, the password should be something that cannot be found in any dictionary. Try to come up with something that only has meaning to you. Names of loved ones, your company name, your SSN, or a variation on your username are a big no-no, but nonsense words are a plus. Consider creating a word from a favorite adage of yours, like making “2eih2fid” out of “To err is human, to forgive is divine”; such a password is easy to remember but difficult to crack.
Change Your Password Frequently
It is recommended that you change the passwords protecting your sensitive information every thirty to ninety days. This helps to assure that, even if somebody has gained access to your account without you knowing, he or she will not be able to retain access for too long.
Safeguard Your Password
It seems like common sense, but some people still can’t keep their passwords to themselves. This means more than just not telling other people what your password is; it also means not writing it under your laptop, or on a post-it note attached to your screen.
Password Managers
The absolute best option for choosing the best passwords is to use a password manger that has a password generator built in.  With a password generator, you can have longer more cryptic passwords.  And, because it is a password manager, it will also store the password information for each site you have an account on.  My recommended password manager continues to be LastPass.

As always, if you need any assistance with choosing passwords or if you have become infected with a virus or have any computer question, don't hesitate to contact me.