What are Password Generators and should I be using them?
Have you ever used a password generator? We recommend to our customers to use LastPass’ excellent password generator (https://www.lastpass.com/password-generator) which you can even download as a browser add on. Then you can let it create secure passwords as you sign up and it will even remember them all for you!
You can choose the length of password you need, what kind of characters you would like to include such as numbers and symbols and whether you would like the password to be easy to say or easy to read.
With over 80% of hacking-related breaches being due to weak or stolen passwords, it is imperative that you create secure and complex passwords to help defend against hacking.
LastPass have put together some password tips which you can find below and on their password generator page.
- Always use a unique password for each account you create.
- Don’t use any personally identifiable information in your passwords. Names, birthdays, and street addresses may be easy to remember but they’re also easily found online and should always be avoided in passwords to ensure the greatest strength.
- Make sure your passwords are at least 12 characters long and contain letters, numbers, and special characters.
- If you’re creating a master password that you’ll need to remember, try using phrases or lyrics from your favourite movie or song. Just add random characters, but don’t replace them in easy patterns.
- Use a password manager like LastPass to save your passwords.
- Avoid weak, commonly used passwords like asd123 or password1.
- Avoid using personal information for your security questions, instead, use LastPass to generate another “password” and store it as the answer to these questions. The reason? Some of this information, like the name of the street you grew up on or your mother’s maiden name, is easily found by hackers and can be used in a brute-force attack to gain access to your accounts.
- Avoid using similar passwords that change only a single word or character. This practice weakens your account security across multiple sites.
- Change your passwords when you have reason to, such as after you’ve shared them with someone, after a website has had a breach, or if it’s been over a year since you last rotated it.
- You should never share your passwords via email or text message. The secure way to share is with a tool like LastPass that gives you the ability to share a hidden password and even revoke access when the time comes.