Our Guide to Creating Strong Passwords [ ⚠️ WARNING: Suspicious Activity ]

As a trusted IT service provider, we often help clients implement security measures that protect their business from cyber threats and data breaches. One of the first lines of defense against unauthorized access to your systems is a strong password.

Here are our top tips for creating strong and secure passwords:

1. Choose a … 0101001001000100100010100010010010101001001010100010001000100100010001000100010001001000

Aaaaaand I’m in. I mean, oh, hi there — this is your friendly neighborhood hacker, interrupting the experts to give you my own password tips. I have no ulterior motives, I promise! ;)

CHOOSE SOMETHING SIMPLE AND SHORT

Think about it: The shorter the password, the easier it is to remember. Don’t bother with punctuation, spaces, or special characters, and definitely don’t use a passphrase! 

The best passwords include something directly related to you — a family member’s name, pet’s name, birthday, house number, or phone number. These are all great options or you could go with 12345678. It’s a classic for a reason.

USE THE SAME PASSWORD FOR EVERYTHING

I recommend using the same password for absolutely everything. From banking to social media to the website where you order your Christmas cards — don’t make things harder for yourself! 

AVOID PASSWORD MANAGERS

You don’t need all that — are you kidding? Just use a spreadsheet saved on your desktop or an unencrypted note on your phone. Better yet, just write it on a sticky note and stick it on your monitor. You should always leave your passwords in a real easy place to find. 

As a hacker, it would really mean a lot to me if you followed my password tips. In fact, it would mean I could take everything from...

*** ACCESS REVOKED ***

Grand Consulting here. We were just alerted that someone hacked our guide, so we booted them from this post. To avoid becoming a victim, here are our real tips for stronger passwords:

1. Choose a long password

A long password doesn’t have to be difficult to remember. The longer the password, the harder it is to guess. And actually, “password” is a bit of a misnomer — try using a passphrase. A phrase consisting of four random words is nearly impossible to guess. Check out this passphrase generator for inspiration.

2. Avoid words and numbers that are directly related to who you are

This includes loved one’s names, pet names, street names, birth dates, house numbers, phone numbers, and more. Sometimes it’s surprisingly easy to find your personal information online, so if your password reveals any information about you, it becomes easier to guess.

3. Don’t use the same password for everything

Using the same username/password combo across different apps and sites means more of your accounts will be compromised if one is hacked.

“But wait,” you might be saying, “won’t it be hard to remember my passwords if I use a different one for every website and app?” Yes, which is why you should…

4. Use a trusted password manager

A password management app stores all of your passwords in a secure, encrypted vault, allowing you to use strong, unique passwords without needing to memorize them all. At Grand Consulting, every employee uses 1password to keep their accounts secure.

Upgrade your password practices today

Resetting your passwords can be annoying (trust us, everyone made that abundantly clear in our recent poll), but you don’t have to reset them all at once. Set up a password manager first, then create strong passwords as you sign up for new accounts. As you add your old passwords to your new manager, slowly update them using these best practices.

Or don’t. Your call.