Best Practices for Choosing a Strong Password Print

Protecting your email accounts, online services or WordPress website starts with strong security fundamentals.

Choosing a Strong Password

Your password is the first line of defense against unauthorized access. A strong password should be:

1. Long: Aim for at least 12-16 characters, at least.
2. Complex: Include a mix of:
   • Uppercase letters (A, B, C...)
   • Lowercase letters (a, b, c...)
   • Numbers (0, 1, 2...)
   • Symbols (!, @, #, $, %, ^, &, *)
3. Unique: Never reuse passwords across different websites or services. If one site is compromised, all your accounts using that password become vulnerable.
4. Unpredictable: Avoid using:
   • Personal information (names, birth dates, pet names).
   • Common words or phrases.
   • Sequential numbers or letters (e.g., 123456, qwerty).

How to Create a Strong Password:

• Passphrases: Combine several unrelated words (e.g., purple-dragon-pizza-sky). This creates a long, memorable, and strong password.
• Password Managers: Use a reputable password manager (e.g., LastPass, 1Password, Bitwarden). These tools can generate strong, unique passwords for you and store them securely, so you only need to remember one master password. They can also auto-fill login credentials.

Implement strong passwords for all accounts to drastically reduce the risk of being compromised.