Archives - Passwords


Make passwords longer, not more complicated

Studies have shown that overly complicated passwords — i.e., complex combinations of upper- and lower-case letters, numbers and special characters — are forgotten and require changing frequently. Instead, combine familiar words to create a longer password. Hacking software usually works by systematically figuring out each character of a password one-by-one, so the more characters you […]

Try using nonsensical phrases for passwords

Around are many established ways to make your passwords stronger, including the use of password managers to automatically create and store all your logins. As an alternative, you can try using your own terms by thinking of nonsensical phrases – e.g., “the Seahorse and the Plumber were preparing four pancakes!” and abbreviate it into a […]

5 Password Security Best Practices

For every account, there is a password. The trouble is, you probably have a lot of accounts. In an increasingly digital world, people are signing up and assigning passwords like never before. But if someone gets hold of one of your passwords, your personal information, finances or data could be at risk. In fact, according […]

Keep security in mind when taking your devices back to school

With the use of COVID-19 vaccines becoming widespread, school districts across the country are gearing up for a return to in-person instruction this fall. After a long stint of remote learning, students and parents alike may have become accustomed to sharing devices like laptops and tablets for both personal and instructional purposes. Here are some […]

Only use well-known password managers

Scammers may invent fake password managers to trick people into giving them their passwords to sensitive accounts. To avoid this, only use password managers that have an established reputation and have numerous customer reviews, like Dashlane, Keeper or LastPass.

Avoid password managers that can recover your master password

If a password manager claims it can recover your master password if you lose it, that means the service will receive access to that information when you create the account. This approach puts your sensitive information at risk. Normally, your passwords are all encrypted, and even the password manager does not have access to your […]