Lock Out ID Thieves and Hackers

The passwords to your computer and online accounts are like the keys to your safe deposit box. In the wrong hands, they can be used to steal your money and your identity. Strong passwords—those that are virtually impossible to recreate, even using a special decoder program—will keep your assets and information safe and secure.

A strong password is one that appears to be a random string of characters, including letters, numbers and symbols. The longer your password is, the harder it is to decipher—so, a seven-character password is stronger than one that has only five characters, but not as strong as one with 12 characters.

When creating a password, don’t use personal information such as your birth date or dog’s name. And don’t use real words. Do consider creating a password derived from a “passphrase” that is easy for you to remember. For example, “My favorite number is 13” could be converted to MfaV#=13!. And use a different password for each account to avoid having all your accounts at risk if one password is compromised.

Learn more about password dos & don’ts, and how to keep track of your codes, from ConsumerReports.org and Microsoft.com.