In a previous blog post, I discussed my latest woes fighting hackers and spammers. Since then, I’ve discussed this situation with colleagues, did some more research and cleaned up many more hacked sites.
The biggest “Ah Ah” moment for me has been looking into password strength. For the longest time, I used pretty easy to remember passwords, but with the use of 1 password, I no longer have to and can use incredibly long and difficult password.
If using such a tool is simply not an option for you, you might want to keep these rules in mind:
- Use at least half a dozen letters. Mixed-case is good. Use random letters or uncommon acronyms only. Do not use words. If it’s in a dictionary… DON’T USE IT!
- Use Numbers. At least a few integers (0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9). More is better.
- Use Punctuation. Punctuation is essential in a strong password. WordPress will let you use pretty much any punctuation mark that you see on your keyboard.
- Change your passwords a few times of year.
- Do not use the same password as your username or part of the username.
- Do not use your name, family members or pets names.
- Take advantage of online password generator tools such as Strong Password Generator.
Avoid using these types of passwords at all times:
- P@ssw0rd
- BusinessName123
- may191968
- 4257770707
- admin
Finally if you’re more of a visual person, here’s a comic strip that explains password strength.
