{"id":58713,"date":"2022-06-16T11:59:31","date_gmt":"2022-06-16T06:29:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.the-next-tech.com\/?p=58713"},"modified":"2022-06-16T11:59:31","modified_gmt":"2022-06-16T06:29:31","slug":"the-ultimate-guide-to-securing-your-passwords","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.the-next-tech.com\/security\/the-ultimate-guide-to-securing-your-passwords\/","title":{"rendered":"The Ultimate Guide to Securing Your Passwords"},"content":{"rendered":"

Passwords are a necessary evil of the modern digital world. Password farming, whether through brute-force attacks or simple data breaches, has become one of the biggest sources of data and financial<\/a> loss online. However, most of it comes back to people using weak, easy-to-break passwords. That\u2019s not going to be you – at least if you follow the tips in this handy guide!<\/p>\n

Why Passwords Matter<\/h2>\n

If your password is easy to guess, you\u2019re inviting account hackers and data thieves to the table. We all know the drill- but if you were to know how badly many people\u2019s password practices<\/a> really are, you\u2019d be horrified. From common words and the dreaded \u201c123456\u201d right through to family birthdays, pet names, and more, many of us are very guilty in this arena.<\/p>\n

While no password is truly impossible to crack, there are a ton of security measures you can take to still keep your passwords easy-to-use, but nearly invulnerable to hackers.<\/p>\n

How to Store Strong Passwords<\/h2>\n

Theoretically, the best passwords need to be random, meaningless strings of letters, capitals, special characters, and numbers. But this also makes them impractical to use – and very tempting to write down.<\/p>\n

We\u2019ve all heard the story of the dreaded post-it note with all your banking passwords left fastened to your screen. In truth, it\u2019s more likely that a vengeful ex or malicious coworker would steal that information than an online hacker, but it\u2019s still not a smart storage strategy<\/a>. The same goes for using a note on your phone, especially as that\u2019s usually also the device of choice for two-factor authentication. No need to hand the thief your vulnerable info on a platter!<\/p>\n

Luckily, there are plenty of solid password managers out there to do this for you digitally. They encrypt the passwords, so no one on \u201ctheir\u201d end can actually see what you\u2019ve chosen, and they\u2019re safe from prying eyes, too. They allow you to generate and store the safest possible random passwords, adding an extra layer of security to your setup. Many offer online backup, too, behind secure encryption, so you\u2019ll never lose the info you need.<\/p>\n

Look for AES-256-bit encryption. Currently, in use by financial institutions and the military, it\u2019s near-impossible to crack even if the database is compromised. If you then add two-factor authentication (more on this later) to the mix, you have a near-invulnerable vault to keep you safe.<\/p>\nAlso read:<\/span> 10 Best AI Video Generators In 2025 (Free & Paid)<\/a><\/span>\n

Creating Strong Passwords<\/h2>\n

As we have already mentioned, a strong password should use all of these:<\/p>\n