Creating Good Passwords

Whether you have a single small website or a data center filled with servers, security should always be at the top of your agenda. One of the most basic security holes that attackers often exploit is the weak password. It is important for you and any users on your server to use secure passwords.

There are certain practices you can use to make your passwords more secure:

• Use a mixture of letters and numbers
• Mix lowercase and uppercase letters
• Make the password at least 8 characters long
• Change default passwords given to you
• Do not use a real dictionary word in any language
• Do not use acronyms that are easily deciphered
• Never give your password to anyone, even someone claiming to be a web host or system administrator
• Do not use the same password you use for other things
• Do not use letters or numbers that relate to personal information (birthdays, names, etc.)
• Change your password often.

If you need help creating a password, consider using a password generator. PC Tools has a free online password generator that will allow you to specify length, types of characters, and similarities. Best of all, it will allow you to create multiple passwords at once. Now you have no excuses left for having a password that is easy to guess.