Here at MJD, we understand that the volume of passwords and the complexity required in the present day can be overwhelming and a difficult task to manage in secure manner.  Internally we here at MJD use a password manager to keep track of all our passwords and ensure we can use highly complex and unique passwords for all our online accounts that we use on a daily basis.  Password managers are not expensive and can be synced across all devices such as laptops, tablets, phones etc so that you are NEVER without your passwords.  If this sounds like something that would be useful get in touch with us here at MJD.

However, we also want to help our clients generate their own secure passwords, so we have created a top tips list below with some helpful suggestions and recommendations for creating passwords.

To create a strong password consider the following advice:

• Choose three random words to make a pass phrase
• Use numbers and symbols as well as upper and lower case letters.
• Consider the line of a song other people would not associate with you
• Take the first letters from a phrase known to you, for example “Making your IT work for you” would be “myiwfy”

Avoid the following:

• Anything from your username, individual or business name.
• Family members and pet names.
• Birthdays
• Favourite sports teams or hobbies.
• “password” itself.
• Sequences of numbers or letters i.e 1234 or ABCD
• A single word with no numbers or special characters, lower or uppercase.  These are very easy for hacking programmes to guess.
• Duplicated characters i.e 999 or AAA
• Easily recognisable keypad patterns i.e 36987 or 159

General password advice:

• Never disclose your passwords to anyone else.
• If you think someone knows your password change it immediately.
• Use a different password for every account that requires one.
• Don’t reuse a password with differing numerical sequences i.e Winter1, Winter2
• Try to avoid writing passwords down, instead consider an online password vault or safe.
• Do not send your password by email.
• When working in public, consider your surroundings, who can look over your shoulder or in the window and see your password being entered?