Unfortunately, hacking is becoming increasingly common as more of our lives move online. Hackers use a variety of methods to gain access to your accounts and services. Most often, techniques such as phishing are used to extract the necessary information.<\/p>\n
Sometimes, sophisticated hacking methods aren\u2019t even necessary if passwords are not secure. Choosing a strong password is vital in order to protect yourself and your sensitive information. It\u2019s also essential to choose different passwords for each account.<\/p>\n
To help you protect your data and guard against cyberattacks, the IT experts at Groupe SL explain what makes a good password.<\/strong><\/p>\n It might seem silly, but did you know that the most common passwords are simply \u201cpassword<\/strong>\u201d and\u00a0\u201c123456<\/strong>\u201d? Many users choose simple passwords that leave them extremely vulnerable when it comes to cybersecurity of data<\/a>.<\/p>\n Here are a few criteria to consider<\/strong> when choosing a password.<\/p>\n The two most important criteria for a password are its length<\/strong> and the characters used<\/strong>.<\/p>\n First of all, the longer a password is, the more difficult it will be to hack<\/strong>. Ideally, your passwords should be at least 12 characters long<\/strong>. Most online services require a minimum length of 8 to 10 characters<\/strong>, which isn\u2019t enough<\/strong>.<\/p>\n It\u2019s also important to use a wide variety of characters<\/strong> to make your password strong. Remember to use capital letters<\/strong> and special characters<\/strong> (!,&,*,%,$, etc.) in the passwords you choose.<\/p>\n A password that is long and uses a variety of different characters will be much more difficult to hack. However, these aren\u2019t the only criteria to consider!<\/p>\n Tip from Groupe SL: Partnering with a <\/u><\/strong>cloud service provider<\/strong> is a great way to improve your cybersecurity! Consider working with professionals to secure your data. <\/u><\/strong> <\/u><\/p>\n When choosing a password, it\u2019s important to make sure that it doesn\u2019t contain any clues that could be linked to you<\/strong>. Using your wife\u2019s name and date of birth<\/strong> or your favourite soccer team isn\u2019t optimal, because the information is easy to find<\/strong>. An ill-intentioned family member or hacker could easily come across the information online\u2014on social media<\/strong>, for example.<\/p>\n Therefore, it\u2019s best to use words and numbers that are unrelated to you<\/strong> and your interests. Many experts say that the best solution is to combine words that have nothing to do with each other<\/strong>, like \u201cChairTruckFlower85!\u201d or \u201cConsiderateGarageDispute4267$\u201d.<\/p>\n Random strings of letters and numbers are also a good way to create a secure password, although they tend to be difficult to remember.<\/p>\n Another vital measure to take to secure your accounts is to choose a unique password for each one<\/strong>. This prevents hackers from gaining access to multiple accounts at once.<\/strong><\/p>\n If you use the same password for everything, you multiply your risk of being hacked<\/strong>, particularly since not all websites have the same level of security. A hacker could find your password on a blog<\/strong> where you have an account and use it to hack your social media or bank account. The same goes for phishing<\/a>, where you run the risk of providing access to all of your accounts at once.<\/p>\n So, remember not to use the same password too frequently, and ideally, use a different password for each account!<\/strong><\/p>\nWhat makes a good password?<\/h2>\n
Password length and special characters<\/h3>\n
Choose a password that has nothing to do with you<\/h3>\n
Use a different password for each account<\/h2>\n