Stop Using The 25 Most Common Passwords of 2013 but Still Remember your Password.

Stop Using The 25 most common passwords of 2013.

Many website and account logins give you 3 chances to try to remember your password without locking you out or making you wait for a long period of time before trying again. Hackers use automated scripts that will actually use 25 most common passwords of 2013 to attempt to get into your account. They also use every dictionary word including some programmed common letter replacements. If you are under a random attack the guessing efforts will start with the most common passwords as well as the simplest words and word combinations.   Here are a few ideas for making up a simple and more secure password you can remember but still keep hackers out.

 10 Tips for Making a Secure Password You Can Remember

1. Combine 2 or 3 of your favorite things or easily remembered numbers. But keep it as obscure as possible.  For example your Grandmothers name, the first 3 for of your social, last five of your home phone number.   
2. Use a different language in your password.  A word that you know in French, German, Spanish, etc.
3. Replace letters with numbers.   0 for O, 1 for L, 5 for S, etc.
4. Use your shift key and to add ‘special characters’ and capitalize letters.  Shift the number 1 and add an !.
5. Spell out numbers and mix with numerals.  For example ‘1twothree4five6’.
6. Use a period / dot or underscore to break up your password.
7. Spell a word or a number you can easily remember backwards.  'sdrawkcab’.  
8. Use your keyboard in a more creative way than qwerty.  Add shift to capitalize and jump rows more randomly.    
9. Use a short sentence using a mix of short words like &, 4, #.    ‘1_for_the_$”
10. Combine 2 or more of these suggestions.   For example a name with numbers and special characters or a backwards word with special characters and a period. 

For added security don't use the same password for every website and adjust your usernames for different websites.

If you need to write down your passwords use a password safe app Splash ID. It's been around since the Palm Pilot Days and has now been updated to work with almost every device and smart phone.  http://www.splashdata.com/splashid/

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 The 2013 Worst Password List

"Password" unseated by "123456" on SplashData's annual "Worst Passwords" list

Presenting SplashData's "Worst Passwords of 2013":

http://splashdata.com/press/worstpasswords2013.htm

Also avoid a breach in your accounts.  Always remember to LogOut! Logout faster with www.howtologout.com 

Check your password strength at the Mircrosoft Safety & Security Center
https://www.microsoft.com/security/pc-security/password-checker.aspx

10 Password Strength Meter Scripts For A Better Registration Interface
http://www.webresourcesdepot.com/10-password-strength-meter-scripts-for-a-better-registration-interface/