{"id":49373,"date":"2016-05-05T06:00:42","date_gmt":"2016-05-05T13:00:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.mcafee.com\/?p=49373"},"modified":"2025-08-19T10:00:03","modified_gmt":"2025-08-19T17:00:03","slug":"world-password-day-2016","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/internet-security\/world-password-day-2016\/","title":{"rendered":"It\u2019s World Password Day! Time to Beef Up Your Password Security"},"content":{"rendered":"

Our passwords hold the keys to our digital lives. We use them to access bank accounts, medical records, private conversations and more. They may be easy to remember, and sometimes funny, but bad passwords (like the most common passwords of last year<\/a>) aren\u2019t as secure as they should be, and put users at risk. The problem is that simple, common passwords like these are easy for cybercriminals to guess. This year\u2019s World Password Day<\/a> is all about sharing password security tips, and helping each other best secure our online accounts. Even Betty White is in on the action with her Password Pep Talks<\/a>. But more on that later. Let me start things off by sharing some must-know password best practices.<\/p>\n

Avoid Using Easy-to-Guess Logins<\/strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Long, unique passwords can be hard to remember. While many users make their passwords short and clever for this reason, these types of logins are fairly easy to guess. Cybercriminals often reference the most common password<\/a> combinations as their first login-guessing tool. Simple keyboard patterns like qwerty <\/em>or 12345678<\/em> are as insecure as passwords like welcome <\/em>or login<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Forget Using Universal Passwords<\/strong><\/h2>\n

We all have too many passwords in our lives. From online banking to shopping to email, we all have countless accounts to keep track of. You might want to use the same password for all of them. But don\u2019t make this mistake. If your data is leaked from one source, you don\u2019t want to give away the master key to all of your online services. Use different passwords everywhere you go, period.<\/p>\n

Understand That Personal Details Are Public<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Important dates, facts, habits and preferences from your life are just a Google search away. Whether we like to admit it or not, those specifics can play a role when we generate passwords. That\u2019s why cybercriminals will try variations based on certain personal details when they try to brute-force accounts. Place of birth? Favorite food? An important anniversary date? Easily found on the Internet.<\/p>\n

Most of this information is available on social media or other popular places online. That\u2019s because we leave a digital trail<\/a> for almost everything we do. When data isn\u2019t easy to obtain, cybercriminals have other methods to resort to. Techniques like social engineering<\/a> \u2014 where cybercriminals disguise themselves as friends, family or figures of authority to trick a user into taking a certain action online \u2014 are powerful, and can easily trick us into giving up personal, sensitive information.<\/p>\n

Consider Biometric Security<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Many phones today have thumbprint scanners (think Apple\u2019s Touch ID). Voice recognition technologies are advancing, too. We\u2019re rapidly entering an age where we can use our own bodies to verify our identities. While it\u2019s certainly convenient, biometric security may not replace all of our passwords. But it will serve as another layer of security when authenticating into devices, confirming that we are who we say we are.<\/p>\n

Basics Are the Basics for Good Reason<\/strong><\/h2>\n

At the end of the day, there are certain password best practices that everyone should follow. Use these rules today and immediately improve your security posture.<\/p>\n