If It's In the Dictionary - Don't Use It

If a password contains words in a dictionary, it is possible to be hacked.

There are programs that run through password combinations by going through words in the dictionary faster than autodialers from telemarketers.

The best password has the following:

• No more than three numerical characters and not in any sequential or repetitive appearance - such as 123, 345, 777...using four will help a user refrain from using last four digits of social security numbers, last four of phone numbers, addresses, zip codes, etc

• Use a symbol character...or two - such as .  *  /  ?  !  _  -  whatever the program will allow to be used

• Don't use any word that would appear in the dictionary.  Use words like frilmn or selkjeifo.  Just let the fingers run across the keyboard to make up a word.  To be sure that it doesn't appear in the dictionary - look it up.    jweioj gijkn

• Use uppercase and lowercase characters - bgkmEpoijkc.852!

• Try not to use names of people in the family.

Write down the password in a safe place.  It might would be best to keep the password away from the computer but placed somewhere where it can be found easily by the user in case of an emergency - out of sight from where nobody would think to look.

Previous posts about passwords on Lady Intelligence - The Blog:
http://ladyintelligence-theblog.blogspot.com/2013/01/user-password-energy.html

Other password creation tips:

http://www.microsoft.com/security/online-privacy/passwords-create.aspx
https://www.google.com/goodtoknow/online-safety/passwords/
http://lifehacker.com/5505400/how-id-hack-your-weak-passwords

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