Password Security Guide
How to Create a Strong Password
A strong password is not just a complicated-looking word with a symbol at the end. The safest passwords are unique, long, unpredictable, and stored in a way that you can actually use consistently.
Start with length, not decoration
Many weak passwords look complex because they contain a capital letter or an exclamation mark, but they are still easy to guess when they follow predictable patterns. Attackers know common substitutions such as “a” becoming “@” and “s” becoming “$”.
Length increases the search space dramatically. A 16-character random password is usually much stronger than an 8-character password, even if the shorter password uses multiple character types.
- Use at least 16 characters for important accounts.
- Avoid names, birthdays, company names, and keyboard patterns.
- Do not append the current year to a weak base word.
Make every password unique
Password reuse is one of the biggest account-security mistakes. When one website is compromised, attackers often try the same email and password combination on other services. This is called credential stuffing.
A unique password limits damage. If one account is exposed, your banking, email, cloud storage, and social media accounts are not automatically exposed as well.
- Never reuse your email password.
- Use a separate password for financial accounts.
- Generate a fresh password for every service.
Use a password manager
Humans are bad at remembering dozens of random passwords. A password manager solves that problem by storing unique passwords behind one strong master password and, ideally, additional authentication.
The master password should be long and memorable. A passphrase can work well if it is not a famous quote, song lyric, or personal sentence.
- Choose a reputable password manager.
- Enable two-factor authentication on the password manager.
- Back up recovery codes in a safe offline place.
Avoid predictable password formulas
A formula such as WebsiteName+Year+Symbol feels organized, but it is predictable. If attackers learn one password pattern, they may infer the rest.
Better: generate a random password for each account and store it securely. For passwords you must remember, use a long passphrase with unrelated words and no personal references.