How to create a strong and effective password in 4 steps

The possibilities that the digital world gives us today also expose us to various security risks. Thus, protecting our information online has become a necessity. On the occasion of International Internet Day (February 8) and looking for your digital peace of mind, we show you how to create a strong password in 4 steps.

Online security risks

Before discovering how to create a strong password, it is necessary to be clear about how people’s information is compromised online. A simple and frequently used mechanism for these purposes is the dark web. Therefore, it is possible that if you use the same password for a long time, in various places, has been hacked.

But if your data is not available on the internetthere are also other ways to obtain them:

• brute force attack. High volumes of character combinations are tested using software.
• dictionary attack. In this case, instead of trying to access your data through combinations of characters, it tries with words.
• phishing. Use fraud or intimidation to obtain usernames and passwords. It is usually done with fake emails, text messages or phone calls.

These mechanisms are effective, especially when we do not take into account the characteristics of a strong password. For example, in 2019 Google reported that 24% of its users in the United States used ‘password’, ‘Qwerty’ or ‘123456’ as their account key. Additionally, 66% of users use the same password for more than one online account.

Google also revealed that US users:

• They do not favor two step authentication (37%).
• They do not change their passwords regularly (34%).
• They don’t use tools like password managers (fifteen%).

Latin America also suffers from weak passwords. The Internet Address Registry for Latin America and the Caribbean LACNIC reports that four countries in the region are among the 20 with the weakest passwords around the world during 2020. These are Colombia, Brazil, Argentina and Mexico.

Now that you know more closely the risks that threaten your data on the Internetwe will show you how to generate strong password.

How to create a strong password in 4 steps

To protect you from any hack attempt We tell you how to create a strong password:

1. Choose a long password

To combat brute force attack software create passwords of at least between 12 and 14 characters.

2. Avoid common passwords

This step to generate a strong password involves several aspects:

• Do not use numbers or letters in sequence (such as 123, abc, or qwerty).
• Do not use the information of your Date of Birth. It can be found on your social networks.
• Avoid using your name, the name of your partner or your pet.

3. Favor complexity

The next step in knowing how to create a strong password is to design your key so that it is difficult to guess (by a person or by software). To do this, try:

• use word combinations that they have nothing to do with each other.
• Use uppercase and lowercase letters and symbols. However, don’t make common, obvious substitutions like replacing the letter o with the number 0.

4. Maintain good management practices

The final step is to have good practices To manage your account access information online:

• Don’t use the same password on multiple sites on the Internet.
• Use a password management service to access them in a timely and secure manner.
• Configure two step authentication to access your user.
• Avoid using your social media accounts to access other sites on the Internet. If a hack compromises your networks, it can compromise you in those other places.

As you can see, knowing how to create a secure passwordis key to ensure the security of your information. With the steps and practices that we show you, you can protect your data online. In addition, you will continue to take advantage of the possibilities and conveniences of the Internet and the digital world.