Is Your Password Your Dog's Name?

Are you using your dog's name for your 'super-secret' password? I know someone who does. She uses it for everything. If she could turn it into a PIN number, she'd use it for that, too.

Some people even use the word 'password' for their password. That's actually pretty common in businesses - even to secure sensitive information. 'Abc123' isn't much better.

Having a strong password doesn't have to be a real pain. And it doesn't have to be hard to remember either.

One of the easiest ways to make a hard-to-guess password is to take the first letter of a phrase or sentence that you like.

For instance... Remember Jack Nicholson saying, "You want the Truth, you can't handle the Truth."  That can be a password that looks like this - - YwtTychtT. Notice, I capitalized the first letter, then also made the 'T' in the words 'Truth' capitals. That's pretty easy to remember.  Adding in the random capitals helps to make it stronger.

Stick in a favorite number or two, and presto, you have a much better password than "Rover". 

Creating strong passwords is very helpful to keep your logins safe. If a thief figured out your password for your online bank account, he could wipe you out in nothing flat. Identity thieves are very clever and bold. 

Make different passwords for your email accounts, bank accounts or work logins. Don't use the same one. I understand - it's a royal pain to have to remember different ones. But it's necessary.

Here's one more good one - PsuyDnfyp (Please stop using your Dog's name for your password).

PS - my apologies to all cat owners (like me). Don't use your cat's name either!