How do I create a secure password?

Passwords should be 8-14 characters in length. The most secure type of password includes a combination of upper and lower case letters, along with numbers and symbols. For instance, A$f8T3B#w5xG would be a very difficult password to crack, even with a brute force attack from a very determined hacker.

Try to avoid using common words in English or other languages, as well as obvious things like your name, a relative’s name or other words that might easily be guessed by an unauthorized user. Here are examples of bad passwords:

• any person’s name including yourself, partner, children, relatives, friends, etc.
• your birthday
• your Social Security Number, telephone number, address, etc.
• words or combinations of words from a dictionary, English or any other language
• numeric sequences, e.g. “1234”
• words spelled backwards

Finally, never under any circumstance make the password the same as your username or use a password such as “username”, “password”, “admin”, “test”, “guest”, etc.

The Password Meter is a great tool that you can use to check the strength of your password.

Both the 1Password Strong Password Generator and the LastPass Password Generator can both help you randomly generate a secure password.