Time to change your passwords.

With the new year here it is a good time to remind everyone to change their passwords for all your accounts. Most people do not ever change their passwords unless forced to by the online sites. Nobody likes changing their passwords and when they do get around to it they change it to a very similar password that they just used. Is that ok? Yes, but it is much better to change it completely.

Are passwords still secure?

Well a complex password (uppercase/lowercase letters, numbers and special characters, at least 8 characters in length) is ok a longer passphrase is much better.

What is a passphrase?

passphrase is a combination of words or other text (uppercase/lowercase letters, numbers and special characters ). It is the same as a password in usage but is longer for added security.

What are good passwords / passphrases?

If you have a simple password, such as “password” or any of the ones listed on the following website  (http://gizmodo.com/5954372/the-25-most-popular-passwords-of-2012 ) you definitely need to change your password! We recommend a passphrase of at least two words containing uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers and special characters, at least 10 characters in length

Where you should change your password

Sites where you should change your password include the following:

  • Banking sites
  • Email
  • LinkedIn
  • Facebook
  • Paypal
  • YouTube
  • Twitter
  • eBay
  • Amazon
  • ISP account

Other places you should also change include:

  • Modem / router login
  • Wireless network key
  • Your computer (if it has a password)
  • Any servers or databases you have.

If you need any help with your password changes let us know or leave a comment below.

This entry was posted in Tips & Tricks by David Perkovic. Bookmark the permalink.

About David Perkovic

David founded DP Computing in 1993. With a Computer Science degree and over 25 years of IT experience David has advanced computer, server and networking skills. He has personally designed, setup and administered many Microsoft based networks and likes to share his knowledge via blog posts and Youtube videos.

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