How to Create a Strong Password

FIA · 02-04-2009, 01:34 AM

Written by FIA
Wednesday, 04 February 2009

In this day and age, all of us deal with passwords every day of our lives. From our Webkinz accounts, to our eMail accounts, to our bank accounts, and beyond. While most of us typically give little thought to our passwords, the fact is that creating a strong password is the single most important thing we can do when it comes to protecting our online accounts.

Do you know if the passwords you use for your accounts are strong enough? The folks over at Microsoft have created a "Password Checker" that will take a look at your password and tell you if it is Weak, Medium, Strong, or BEST. Please visit this page to check it out: http://www.microsoft.com/protect/you...d/checker.mspx

Did your password fail the test, or do you just want to know how to make your password stronger? This article on the Microsoft site should be able to help you out. It's called Strong Passwords: How to Create and Use Them, and it carefully explains what makes a password strong and gives you tips on how you can create a strong password for yourself. The article is located here: http://www.microsoft.com/protect/you...rd/create.mspx

If something is important to you, it's worth creating a strong password to keep it safe.

webcrazy · 02-04-2009, 02:00 AM

As great a system this may be to judge you passwords, there isn't any place on the web I would trust and start typing in my many passwords (except to access a certain site). But to just type in password, after password - no way!
I think it is great that you can read how to make a strong password but...my skeptical side says that it won't be long before someone makes a similar/identical form and sends them via email pretending to be microsoft and instead it will be a scammer accessing your passwords.
I just don't feel comfortable with this - but then that's just my two cents worth.