Friday, September 08, 2006

Password strength

https://www.google.com/accounts/PasswordHelp

How safe is your password?

The first step in protecting your online privacy is creating a safe password - i.e. one that a computer program or persistent individual won't easily be able to guess in a short period of time. To help you choose a secure password, we've created a feature that lets you know visually how safe your password is as soon as you create it.

Tips for creating a secure password:

* Include punctuation marks and/or numbers.
* Mix capital and lowercase letters.
* Include similar looking substitutions, such as the number zero for the letter 'O' or ' * Create a unique acronym.
* Include phonetic replacements, such as 'Luv 2 Laf' for 'Love to Laugh'.

Things to avoid:

* Don't use a password that is listed as an example of how to pick a good password.
* Don't use a password that contains personal information (name, birth date, etc.)
* Don't use words or acronyms that can be found in a dictionary.
* Don't use keyboard patterns (asdf) or sequential numbers (1234).
* Don't make your password all numbers, uppercase letters or lowercase letters.
* Don't use repeating characters (aa11).

Tips for keeping your password secure:

* Never tell your password to anyone (this includes significant others, roommates, parrots, etc.).
* Never write your password down.
* Never send your password by email.
* Periodically test your current password and change it to a new one.

©2005 Google

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