Define Your Password: What You Need to Know
A password is a string of characters used to verify the identity of a user during the authentication process. Passwords are typically used in tandem with a username, they are designed to be known only to the user and allow that user to gain access to a device, application or website.
Consider before the define password
- Alternatives to memorization
Traditional advice to define password to memorize the passwords and never write them down has become a challenge because of the sheer number of passwords users of computers and the internet are expected to maintain. One survey concluded that the average user has around 100 passwords. To manage the proliferation of passwords, some users employ the same password for multiple accounts, a dangerous practice since a data breach in one account could compromise the rest. Less risky alternatives include the use of password managers, single sign-on systems and simply keeping paper lists of less critical passwords. Such practices can reduce the number of passwords that must be memorized, such as the password manager’s master password, to a more manageable number. - Factors in the security of a password system
The security of a password-protected system depends on several factors. The overall system must be designed for sound security, with protection against computer viruses, man-in-the-middle attacks and the like. Physical security issues are also a concern, from deterring shoulder surfing to more sophisticated physical threats such as video cameras and keyboard sniffers. Passwords should be chosen so that they are hard for an attacker to guess and hard for an attacker to discover using any of the available automatic attack schemes. See password strength and computer security for more information.
What is password and security?
Password security and password protection are practices for establishing and verifying identity and restricting access to devices, files, and accounts. They help ensure that only those who can provide a correct password in response to a prompt are given access. See two-factor authentication (1:59)
Password Security Tips
Password security and password protection are practices for establishing and verifying identity and restricting access to devices, files, and accounts. They help ensure that only those who can provide a correct password in response to a prompt are given access.
As risky as the password
Even though awareness about the importance of passwords is greater than ever, many individuals and organizations still fall victim to cybercrimes due to weak passwords.
Online accounts are our constant companion in today’s digital age. We use passwords to login to PC, Mobile, Email, Facebook and many more. But using a weak password can kill your account in no time.
Define Password are the primary defense against unauthorized access to these online accounts. There is no substitute for a strong password to keep online accounts safe and secure.
Even though awareness about the importance of passwords is greater than ever, many individuals and organizations still fall victim to cybercrimes due to weak passwords.
A recent study by SpecOps, an international password management company, revealed what kind of passwords people generally use the most. Their study also revealed whether long passwords increase online security.
Most Leaked Passwords
SpecOps research found that the most commonly leaked 8-character passwords were ‘password’, ‘research’ and ‘GGGGGGGG’. Passwords that are 8 characters in length—including numbers, uppercase and lowercase letters, symbols—whatever they contain, take the least amount of time for hackers to crack. And if 8-character passwords contain only numbers, they can be easily hacked.
Among the 9 character passwords, the most leaked passwords are ‘GGGGGGGGG’, ‘anandiGBZ’, and ‘cleopatra’.
And the most dangerous passwords with 10 characters are ‘OOOOOOOOOOOO’, ‘GGGGGGGGGG’, and ‘passwordGG’.
‘Sym_cskill’, ‘sym_cskillO’, and ‘Foxracingll’ are the most vulnerable of the 11-character passwords.
For 12-character passwords, ‘sym_cskillOT’, ‘sym_cskillOG’, and ‘sym_cskillOB’ are the most vulnerable.
Among the most vulnerable passwords of 13 characters are ‘mcafeeptfcorp’, ‘CitrixTargusl’, and ‘rubyflankerG’.
Risky 14-character passwords are ‘hacktheplanetl’, ‘trendmicro.com’, and ‘minecraft.A.S’ and 15-character passwords are ‘SY&cutskillsIO’, ‘Sym_newhireOEIE’, and ‘sym_newhireOAIE’
SpecOps says that two of the words ‘new hire’ are most likely to be found in a 15-character password, such as newhire1234, or something like that. Such a password is given at the beginning while giving office account to new employees from IT department of various organizations. Hackers are now aware of this.
As a result, SpecOps advised not to use such words in passwords.
It also proves that many employees do not follow the instructions given by the office to change the password.
Do bigger passwords provide more security?
But this SpecOps study found that 85 percent of the leaked passwords were 12 characters or less in length. Therefore, it is generally accepted that long passwords are more secure than short passwords.
It would take a hacker 2 septillion (1 septillion = 100000000000000) years to recover a 22-character password consisting of lowercase and uppercase letters, numbers and various symbols. But a 13-character password can be hacked in no time.
But using long passwords alone is not enough to stay safe online. Currently, various malicious groups are hacking people’s accounts very easily and quickly through phishing and various types of tempting and trap links on the Internet.
So it’s equally important to avoid traps as well as using big passwords to stay safe online. In this case it can be a big warning not to click on any unknown or suspicious link.
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