Passphrases: The Longer, the Stronger!
Remember when a good password was just a random jumble of letters, numbers, and symbols like "P@$$wOrd123"? Well, things have changed! These days, experts are recommending passphrases instead.
What's a Passphrase?
It's basically a longer password made up of several words strangers cannot guess by looking at your online information. Think of it like a short sentence, but without spaces. For example, instead of "P@$$wOrd123", we could use "MyDogsHappyDance!".
Why are Passphrases Better?
Easier to remember: It's much easier to remember a phrase that means something to us than a bunch of random characters.
Harder to crack: Even though they're easier to remember, they're much harder for hackers to guess.
More secure: Longer passwords are always stronger passwords, and passphrases are naturally longer.
Tips for Creating Great Passphrases:
Make it memorable: Use a phrase that only you would know, like a line from a favorite song or book, or something silly your grandkids say.
Mix it up: Use a combination of upper and lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols if you want to make it even stronger.
Don't use common phrases: Avoid things like "password123" or "letmein".
The pattern method: Here at ANVCS.org, we recommend using a pattern to create your passphrases. This makes them both strong and easy to remember. Here's an example:
Pattern: [Something you love] + [Verb] + [Something you dislike] + [Number]
Passphrase: MyCatFluffyHatesBroccoli27!
Another example: Grandkids@Play@Loud@Videogames@1958
Keep it secret: Don't share your passphrases with anyone.
Tier your passphrases: Not all accounts need the same level of protection. Try using three levels of passphrase strength:
Tier 1 (Finance & Health): Your strongest, most unique passphrases should be used for banking, online health portals, and anything involving sensitive personal information.
Tier 2 (Shopping): Slightly less complex passphrases can be used for online shopping sites like Amazon or Target.
Tier 3 (Low Risk): Simpler passphrases are fine for things like coupon memberships, news sites, or other accounts that don't contain sensitive data.
Make unique passwords by customizing your passphrases: Since long passphrases keep us safer from hackers, we can "reuse" our passphrases within Tier 2 & Tier 3 by customizing it with the name of the account or service. For example: The passphrase "MyDogsHappyDance!" would be customized for an Amazon account by using the first four letters of the service, "amaz", and a "-" to make "amaz-MyDogsHappyDance!".
Ready to try Passphrases: Passwords for Seniors and Humanity?
You'll be surprised how much easier "Passphrases: Passwords for Seniors and Humanity" are to remember and how much safer they'll keep you online.
Watch our video on passwords and passphrases:
Want to learn more about online safety?
Check out our upcoming classes on cybersecurity at anvcs.org/classes. We'll teach you everything you need to know to stay safe in the digital world!
P.S. If you're having trouble remembering your passwords, consider using a password manager. We can show you how!
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