Did you know that only 64% of Americans experience breaches in security due to weak passwords? It’s no wonder why cyber attacks and breaches of security happen so often. If you don’t have a strong password, cybercriminals can easily crack into your system, stealing precious information or posting false content on your social media. To avoid this, you need a strong password that makes it difficult for someone to guess or hack.  But what is a good password, exactly?

You might think you have a secure password set on your accounts, but you could be making vital mistakes that endanger your privacy.

If you want to learn more about the importance of password security and how to create a good password, keep reading for our brief cybersecurity guide.

The Importance of a Strong Password

In a recent study, 41% of Americans have reported fraudulent charges made to their credit cards. Once these masterminds have your bank account or card information, they go on wild spending sprees, racking up a bill on your tab.

Card information isn’t the only thing they are after though. Cybercriminals can access files to steal your identity. They can even get into your social media accounts and post vulgar or explicit content under your name.

These are all situations you can avoid if you set the right password and take proper cybersecurity precautions.

Here are a few ways cybercriminals hack into passwords:

  • Stealing passwords that you write on paper
  • Intercepting passwords through shared wifi
  • Searching IT databases for stored passwords
  • Using key-logging malware
  • Guessing by using your general information they have found on the web

Cybercriminals are crafty, but you can be craftier. Taking the necessary precautions to protect against these methods will keep your password security tight.

What Is a Good Password?

So what makes a password secure?

The main factor in creating a password is making it impossible to guess. The Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency suggests that the only people with access to your passwords should be authorized users. Even the people who know you best should not be able to guess your password.

Take a look at these password creation tips:

  • Use roughly 16 characters
  • Use a mix of lowercase and capital letters
  • Use a range of numbers and symbols
  • Use a fact about yourself no one else knows
  • Use a long list of words that only make sense to you

You could include lesser knowing things like your favorite cartoon character, something personal from your childhood, or a secret code word.

Here are some things a password should not include:

  • Your name, a family member’s name, or a pet’s name
  • Your street address (neither current nor past)
  • Your birthday
  • Your favorite sports team

Surveys have shown that the most common passwords include numbers in numerical sequence (123456) and the word “football.” So steer clear of those common mistakes.

How to Keep From Getting Hacked

All of this talk about passwords and stolen information is scary to the average online user.

Along with a strong password, you can take extra measures to secure your online identity:

  • Always be suspicious of public wifi
  • Use two-factor authentication
  • Never click on links sent through email
  • Don’t tell anyone your passwords
  • Don’t use the same few passwords for multiple sites
  • Use a VPN
  • Use a password manager
  • Hire IT services specializing in cybersecurity

Remembering long passwords often leads to having to reset your password on different sites. To avoid this, use an encrypted password manager.

Protect Yourself

We hope this guide answered the question “What is a good password” and have properly detailed the importance of having a strong password. Inception Network Strategies wants to ensure your safety by offering a wide range of services and vendors.

Your online identity is important to keep your identity and billing information safe. For your cybersecurity, we use a host of vendors to set up impenetrable technological barriers to your system.

If you’re concerned about your online security, feel free to contact us at Inception Network and get yourself protected today.