DD’s Security Tips #1 – Passwords

What makes a strong password?

The longer and more complicated your password is, the harder it will be for hackers to guess it or to break it through brute-force.

Why is a longer and more complicated password harder to hack?

Simply because there are more possible combinations, so it takes the hackers’ computers longer to try them all.

What should I avoid using as a password?

Most hackers and scammers will have bought your personal data from a data broker. So, in addition to your e-mail address, they will probably also know your name, address, telephone number and date of birth. So, using these as your password is a bad idea.

What can I do to make my password more secure?

The most secure password would be a long sequence of random upper- and lower-case letters, numbers and symbols. But this would be almost impossible to remember!

So, we recommend using a long word, phrase or even a song lyric and substituting some of the letters for similar looking numbers or symbols. For example, instead of the letter ‘S’ you could use the number ‘5’, or instead of the letter ‘i’ you could use an exclamation mark ‘!’.

Should I write my passwords down?

Security experts recommend against writing down your passwords. BUT, we disagree. Losing or forgetting your passwords can be as harmful as being hacked or falling victim to a scam.

If you keep a record of your passwords on your computer, don’t name the file ‘Passwords’. Call it something innocuous like ‘Shopping List’ and protect the file with a password of its own.

If you keep a written record of your passwords, such as in a diary or address book, keep it in a safe place at home and do not take it outside of your house. Or keep two notebooks, with your usernames written in one, and your passwords written in another. That way, if you lose your password book, no one will know what the passwords are for!

What should I do if I forget my password or if I get hacked?

Getting hacked or falling victim to a scam can be very traumatic, and losing or forgetting a password can be very inconvenient. But either way, get in touch with us and we’ll do our best to support you, as to resolve the situation as painlessly as possible.

Keep an eye on our blog and our social media channels for more DD’s Security Tips!