Growing up before the age of the internet and social networks has left many older users unprepared for risks looming in the virtual world. From that perspective, today’s kids are lucky, as the best cybersecurity practices, such as good password hygiene, are at hand. So, if you are not exactly the most security savvy of parents, try our password essentials. Here’s the short version:
- Create a unique password for each account and don’t share it with anyone.
- The general rule is the longer the password, the safer it will be. Start with at least eight characters, but prolong the code if it should reliably protect valuable data or accounts. If you are having trouble remembering a complex password, you can also opt for a passphrase or use a password manager (more on those below).
- Avoid dictionary words (common words, names, dates, numbers) or obvious choices such as 12345678, password or qwerty.
- Add a bit of “digital spice”, such as numbers and special characters (@, #, !, etc.), or use them as a substitute for some of the letters in your password.
- If you choose the substitution option, don’t go for common “misspellings”, such as replacing “a” with “@” or “i” with “1” or “!”.
