Whether you’re registering for a virtual purchase, making a bank transfer or playing a game, it’s almost always necessary to create passwords for access.
Passwords are one of the most common information security measures. But although they are a very basic resource, they also pose one of the greatest risks.
Nowadays, hackers have a multitude of strategies to trick people and commit crimes. Also, with the growth in access to technology, we have an increasing number of logins, which forces us to have several passwords for each of these services.
Weak passwords
The problem with weak passwords is that cybercriminals need less than a second to crack them and access an account. The study shows that weak passwords are still being used to “protect” accounts on social networks, emails and other websites and platforms, mainly because they are easy to remember.
Brazilians are not at all original when it comes to choosing passwords. “Brazil” and “123456” are among the most used options in the country, according to a report by password manager NordPass, which surveyed more than 30 countries, including four in Latin America – in addition to Brazil, Chile, Colombia and Mexico were also surveyed. The number combination, unfortunately, is already a classic in the country. Past reports by other companies show that “123456” has been among the most used options in Brazil for years.
Tips for strong passwords
No simple combinations. To protect your accounts as much as possible, it is extremely important to create strong and secure passwords. Follow the tips below.
- Don’t use birthdays, either your own or those of family members;
- Don’t use your name, the names of family members or pets;
- Use and abuse special characters such as “@”, “*”, “$”;
- Use lowercase and uppercase letters;
- Use alphanumeric combinations, i.e. numbers and letters;
- Use different passwords for each account. Never the same;
- Change your passwords frequently;
- Use a password manager.
Password managers
Managing passwords using applications is an interesting solution for users to store login information and codes securely on their cell phones. Instead of having to remember several different passwords, with these applications you only need to keep one master key to access your various accounts.
Password managers work like a digital safe with encryption, which is a mathematical technique to protect against third-party hacking. Below, we’ve listed five apps available for saving passwords on your desktop or cell phone:
