Hack Resistant Passwords Keep Your Data Safer

Creating strong passwords is an effective way to keep your data safe from hackers and breaches.

By Leah Golden

 

Data breaches don’t just happen to someone else. Between July 1 and September 30 of 2024, almost 215 million people had their personal information exposed due to data breaches or leaks, according to the Identity Theft Resource Center. Most states, including Texas, have adopted laws that require companies to notify their customers if they experience a data breach. But, companies can’t tell you about a breach before it happens. Creating strong passwords can help keep your online accounts safer.

 

What counts as “strong”?

A strong password has three characteristics:

• It’s long — with 16 more characters,

• It’s a random combination of numbers, letters, symbols or words.

• It’'s unique for each of your online accounts. 

Following these guidelines will help you avoid creating passwords that meet the minimum security requirements but are still easy to hack, such as “Pass@123”, “P@ssw0rd” and others and others.

 

Create a passphrase

Using a passphrase also makes it easier to create longer passwords. For example, the passphrase “fishmicrowaverainbow” is stronger than “Pa$$w0rd”. If you start using this type of passphrase, keep in mind that your bank, utility company and other online accounts may still require capital letters and special characters. However, “F!shmicrowaverainbow” can meet those requirements and still be memorable.

 

Mix it up

If you use the same password across multiple accounts, you’re not alone. According to Last Pass, 62% of respondents to their 2022 survey said they reused passwords. And it's not just older generations: 69% of Gen Z and 66% of Millennial respondents admitted to using variations of a single password. A password manager program can help. The program can create stronger, unique passwords for your accounts while you just have to remember one.

Personal Finance