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Other Operating Systems => Windows 8 => Windows 8.1 Help and How to | Activation => Topic started by: javajolt on April 13, 2014, 08:20:22 PM
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Having a strong password is very important. If someone steals your passwords, they can use your name to open new credit card accounts, apply for a mortgage, or pose as you in online transactions. You can prevent this, but creating strong passwords !
Create Strong Passwords
The strongest passwords look like a random string of characters to attackers. But random strings of characters are hard to remember.
You can therefore, make a random string of characters based on a sentence that is memorable to you but is difficult for others to guess.
- Mix uppercase and lowercase letters and numbers. – Introduce intentional misspellings.
- Substitute some special characters
- Use symbols that look like letters, combine words, or replace letters with numbers to make the password complex.
- Make sure it’s at least 8 characters long.
This is how Microsoft suggests you could go about it:
(http://i57.tinypic.com/23wmjqa.jpg)
You can also use ASCII characters to make strong passwords!
Having done that, test your new password with Microsoft’s Password Checker (http://www.microsoft.com/security/pc-security/password-checker.aspx). The Password Checker evaluates your password’s strength as you type. You could also check out Password Security Scanner (http://www.nirsoft.net/utils/password_security_scanner.html) from Nirsoft.
Avoid weak, easy-to-guess passwords:
- Avoid sequences or repeated characters
“12345678,” “222222,” “abcdefg,” or adjacent letters on your keyboard do not make secure passwords.
- Avoid using only look-alike substitutions of numbers or symbols
Criminals will not be fooled by common look-alike replacements, such as to replace an ‘i’ with a ’1′ or an ‘a’ with ‘@’ as in “M1cr0$0ft” or “P@ssw0rd”.
- Don’t use any part of your or your wife’s name, birthday, social security number, or similar information for your loved ones.
- Avoid dictionary words in any language
- Avoid using only one password for all your accounts
- Avoid using online storage.
You might also want to check out 5 tips to help keep your passwords secret.
There are several random password generators available online. Our freeware PassBox (http://www.thewindowsclub.com/passbox-download) is a handy little tool that will remember all your passwords and even generate strong passwords for your account. You can also check out this portable freeware Password Generator (http://identitysafe.norton.com/password-generator/).
(http://i59.tinypic.com/k1xkqf.jpg)
It also has a Password Checker and a Password Revealer tool too. Using this tool, you can generate completely random passwords.
Stay safe!
twc