A lot of people find passwords annoying. Honestly, most people probably feel that way.
One of our friends once set the admin password for a blog site she created to “000000,” and three months after launch, the site was hacked, completely destroying her important work. When I heard her story it turned out that, as expected, her password was indeed “000000.”
These days, with all the warnings, people probably aren’t using “0000…” anymore, and most online services won’t even accept such simple passwords. But for things like personal email or other accounts, a lot of people still use basic 6- or 8-digit passwords.
In addition to weak passwords, reusing passwords is also a big risk. Some people might think, “My password is complex enough, so reusing it should be fine,” but it’s not. If just one password gets leaked, all your accounts that use it are exposed. For example, using the same password for both a loyalty card and online banking is completely out of the question.
These may seem like basic guidelines, but here’s a reminder of some essential password practices:
Use passwords at least 10 characters long and include letters, numbers, and symbols. (…Shorter passwords are more vulnerable to brute force attacks.)
Change your password at least every six months. (…Your account could still be at risk months after a password leak.)
Avoid using the same password across different services. (…If one account is compromised, all connected accounts could be, too.)
Don’t reuse old passwords. (…You might not even realize an old password was leaked.)
If you write down passwords, keep them on paper or in a separate system.
If you store passwords online, ensure the file itself is locked.
This feels like a hassle—we feel the same way. But following these practices can help protect not only you but also your company, friends, and customers from potentially serious damage in case of a security breach.
