If I was to try to log into your email address, your website control panel, your facebook account, or twitter profile, would I be able to guess your password?

Odds are that you have been given, or even chosen, at least one password during your time online that involved one of the following words:

• your name
• your first borns’ name
• your date of birth (letters or numbers)
• your pets name
• your favourite sports team or 
• your favourite television star

Not forgetting the “not-so-secret” secret questions that others can guess to have your password reset.

To save yourself from people (with undoubtedly malicious intent) from accessing your valuable information: Be sure to use STRONG PASSWORDS.

Okay, Okay. I hear you. “So what makes a password STRONG?”

A combination of:

• Numbers
• Lowercase Letters
• Uppercase Letters and
• Symbols

Guessing a combination of the elements above, such as “x#F6:5tb!” is much harder for strangers to guess than discovering that your childs’ name is Jayden or Sarah. Or that you absolutely adore the AFL team the “Essendon Bombers“.

BONUS TIP: Having a longer password also makes it harder for people to guess your password, try keeping your passwords above 8 or 10 characters long. (But be sure to remember it yourself!)

If you want to check how well your password ranks, check out this nifty strength check tool provided by Microsoft.

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