You might have heard about the recent password hacks or phishing scams for Twitter users.  Several news and celebrity accounts were taken over by hackers including Barack Obama, Britney Spears and FoxNews. 

Turns out that one of the hackers ran a simple password guesser on Twitter’s administrative control panel and gained access to one of Twitter’s support staff’s accounts.  He then could access any other Twitter account and post using that person’s account. What was the Twitter staffer’s password? “Happiness.”   Read the full account here. 

How strong is YOUR password?   Check it out here.  And here’s a post showing you how one hacker would crack your password and how long it would take him to do it.  (Note this post is a couple years old….it would probably take less time today)

Please make your passwords stronger and protect your online and other property.   For many organizations your data is your only truly proprietary set of information.  Protect your password to your database and your email and any other company passwords.  Same things for your personal accounts, too.

How can you make your passwords stronger? Do at least one, if not all of the following:

  • 8-15 characters long
  • Uses both lower and upper case
  • Uses at least one number
  • Uses at least one special character

Examples of stronger passwords include:

  • t3wahSetyeT4
  • 4pRte!ai@3
  • #3kLfN2x

One way to remember these fairly complicated passwords is to create a mnemonic phrase. For example “Iw21wIfvP,” a difficult to remember string, derives from “I was 21 when I first visited Paris.”   Or, "mHs2m$oM" derives from “My husband spends too (2) much money on me.”  (I’m waiting for comments on that one!)

Please do not use:  “admin,” “password,” your pet’s name, birthday, wedding day or any common English word that could easily be guessed by and automatic password guesser, such as the one used against Twitter.

Whatever you do, don’t write them down.   Don’t share them with anyone.  And change them often.   Our entire lives are beginning to need passwords; online banking, email, membership management database, social networking accounts, alumni networks, etc.   If someone truly wants to get your info, they probably will, but let’s at least keep out the casual hackers by making it harder for them to hack your passwords.