12 FANTASTIC TIPS TO PROTECT YOUR PASSWORDS

If you want a hack-proof password you should look beyond your mother’s maiden name. Wayne Williams offers 12 expert tips to boost your password security.

1 Keep track of your passwords
A good way to keep your passwords safe is to use password-management software. KeyWallet (http://www.keywallet.com), for example, can automatically log you into your favourite websites – all you have to do is drag the stored name to the log-in page and it does the rest. The software has four levels of security to ensure your passwords are never compromised. AI RoboForm (http://www.roboform.com) also provides a hack-proof way of storing passwords, along with corresponding usernames. It can log you into websites automatically, and also generate secure passwords too. Another option is to use Aurora Password Manager (http://www.animabilis.com), which stores all kinds of confidential data, such as credit card details, PIN codes, usernames and passwords. It’s secured with a master password and supports multi-users, so every member of the family can use it independently.

2 Use a passphrase
Passwords can be cracked but passphrases – which run multiple words and numbers together – are harder to unravel. Who would be able to guess ‘3rdmarriage2ndtimeofasking’, for example? Yet it’s just as easy to remember as a single word (even if it takes longer to enter). Perhaps you could shorten it to 3m2toa.

3 Recover lost passwords
It happens to us all. You use the same password for months and then one day it suddenly goes clear out of your head leaving you staring blankly at a log-in screen. If you’re trying to access a website you can usually ask for a reminder (or the full password) to be sent to your registered email address. However, if you’re trying to access a program you should download the password recovery software at http://www.lostpassword.com, which has various solutions.

4 Use one-off passwords
If you have a webmail account – Hotmail or Google Mail for example – you must use a unique password. Why? Imagine you sign up to a website with that email address and give the same password you always use. You’ve essentially just given them free access to your email account! If you have a Paypal account you should always use a unique password for the same (but potentially more damaging) reason.

5 Don’t be obvious
Unbelievably, some people still consider ‘Password’ to be a good choice for a password. Maybe they think it’s so obvious that nobody will ever guess it? But it will, of course, be the first word someone tries, followed by words that are linked to you – your son’s, daughter’s, spouse’s or pet’s name, for example. Use something that is much harder to guess, and preferably not a single English word.

6 Beware Firefox
It might be a superb web browser but Firefox doesn’t do a great job of protecting your passwords. Go to Tools, Options, click the Privacy tab, and then the Passwords tab. Click View Saved passwords, and your passwords will be revealed for all to see. To protect them, set a Master Password here, or alternatively tell Firefox not to remember any passwords for you by unticking the Remember Passwords option.

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