What Makes a Good Password

Posted on January 1, 0001  •  2 minutes  • 263 words

Stop me if you heard this one before.

A friend’s former partner had a grudge and knew that they reused their password across accounts. Not only was my friend mortified, but their former partner’s actions also jeopardized the intellectual property of their organization, putting significant projects on hold. The Ex with a grudge took inexcusable actions.

The root of the problem? A lack of robust password security, including the absence of Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) and a risky habit of recycling the same few passwords across all devices.

This incident serves as a reminder how important password security is. A strong passphrase is your first line of defense against unauthorized access to your personal and professional data.

Do not reuse your passwords and avoid using dictionary words. These passphrases should be easy for you to remember yet complex enough to thwart common password-breaking techniques. Go for something 12 characters long and get a little creative when you make up your passphrase.

For many, the go-to solution for managing passwords is a password manager. These tools generate complex passphrases and secure them under robust encryption, requiring only one main password to access your entire vault. It’s vital that this main password adheres to the highest standards of strength and complexity, embodying all the characteristics of a secure passphrase.

Password managers are typically the recommended solution. A good password manager will create a complex passphrase and store it under encryption. You will still need a main password to unlock all of your passwords. Your main password should still follow the same rules of a good passphrase.