Major web browsers and operating systems provide built-in tools for saving passwords. They can also autofill these logins for specific sites and applications. Make sure you’ve enabled the appropriate settings so that you don’t have to go hunting down a password each time you sign in to an account.

Use the strongest, longest password or passphrase permitted. Don’t use passwords that attackers can easily guess, like your birthday or your child’s name. Attackers can use software to conduct dictionary attacks, which try common words that may be used as passwords. They also conduct brute force attacks, which are random password attempts that run until […]

Passwords are a pain. Not only do they need to be sufficiently complex to thwart a potential attacker’s brute-force guessing, they must also be memorable enough that you don’t end up having to request a reset each time you forget your login. The most common DIY solution to this problem is to simply recycle the […]

Creating passwords is both an art and a science. It should be complex enough to thwart common guessing methodologies, but easy enough to remember. One way to strike a balance is to use an abbreviated phrase interspersed with a number and a special character, if applicable. That combination will give you a long yet memorable […]

Default options on certain websites may be chosen for convenience, not for security. For example, avoid allowing a website to remember your password. If your password is stored, your profile and any account information you have provided on that site is readily available if an attacker gains access to your computer. Also, evaluate your settings […]

Some websites and applications allow or even require special characters – like < and ! – in passwords. If you have the option to include them, do so, since their presence makes the password more difficult to guess than if it only contained alphanumerics.