Using different passwords is_much_safer than using one password_everywhere.
Why?
Because hackers know that most people don’t take the trouble to set that up.
And they know that we typically have more than one account.

Admit it, We’re ALL Lazy
I’ll admit it, I’m lazy. And when it comes to trying to manage multiple_passwords, I’d bet money that most people are as well. We all have busy lives and trying to remember a multitude of passwords can be very difficult.
One password everywhere is_so much_easier. It’s easier than even_the easiest password management system. It just is.
It makes our life easy not to have to remember and not to have to use any_special tools to remember for us.
The problem is that it makes hackers’ lives easier too.
What’s a bad password?
A bad password is any password composed of common words or names, particularly if the password is short. For example, “iLoveMikey” is a bad password. “mydogspot” is a bad password. “GeorgeInParis” is a bad password. All are simply combinations of words or names. On top of that, many people choose bad passwords that express information that someone who knows you might be able to guess. If your boyfriend’s name is “Mikey,” your dog’s name is “Spot,” or you met someone named “George” during a trip to Paris, these are all things that people who know just a little about you can use to start making some educated guesses as to what your password might be.
And as I said, people can be really good guessers.
The irony is that the people who know you the best – your friends – are the ones who can probably make the best guesses and are the most likely to guess your password if it’s a bad one.
Another problem with passwords made up from words and names is that it’s really easy for a determined hacker to set up a computer with a dictionary of words and names and have it start trying combinations until something works.

What’s a good password?
A good password is a long random sequence of characters – letters, numbers and any “special characters.” “qicITcl}” is a good password.
“rAg2imWOIgIf47IM24busml6kpetPF9UGRpPAFBMCoSmSTptbDcOxwcG3aPoa79” is a great password. The best passwords are made up of completely random characters and as long as you can make it.
You can see the problem: great passwords are impossible to remember. So if you can’t remember it, what good is it?
The solution is either a compromise, or the use of some technology.

The compromise
The compromise I use works like this:
I never include full English words or names – instead I use misspellings or phonetic sound-alikes.
I always include a mix of uppercase and lowercase letters and numbers (and if a website allows it, symbols as well).
I always make sure the password is at least eight characters long, preferably longer
So, for example, while “Macintosh” is bad, “Mac7T0sh” might be good and probably easier to remember. “HondaPrelude” is bad, but “Pre7ood6” is much, much better.
The bottom line for this compromise: pick a random looking password that YOU can remember but that “they” would never guess – and as I’ve said a couple of times, always assume that “they” are always really great guessers

Hackers Know We’re Lazy
Hackers know that people find it easier in general to have one password_everywhere.
Hackers also know that people generally have more than one account. So hacking a single account can act as a foot in the door and lead to all_sorts of mayhem.

Password Managers
There are many password managers available to help us manage all our passwords. Managing our passwords for all the sites we log into every day can be a massive undertaking. A password manager can make life easier. Below is a listing of some of the most powerful and easiest to use managers:

*Dashlane 4
*Zoho Vault
*LastPass 4.0 Premium
*Sticky Password Premium
*RoboForm Everywhere 7
*Keeper Password Manager and Digital Vault 8
*LogMeOnce Password Management Suite Ultimate
*Password Boss Premium
*Password Genie 4.4
*True Key by Intel Security

Most of these managers are free, but also have advanced versions of the programs that can be purchased. We ourselves use Dashlane for our password manager. One nice feature is that we can change the password for a site that we use and can have Dashlane generate a strong password for us.

Anthony Regina was born and raised in California and grew up in Benicia. He is constantly learning new technology security solutions to help keep businesses current. If you have a tech topic you’d like for him to cover, email him at a.regina@completecomputers.us.

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