What is a strong password?
Passwords are often so insecure that they can be cracked within a few seconds. The password manager NordPass recently published a list of the top 100 most common passwords. In first place is actually password, which was used by almost 5 million people worldwide in 2022. That's why it takes less than a second to crack this password.The password most frequently used by users in Germany is also simply insecure: 123456 can also be cracked in less than a second. This is so quick because there are extensive password lists on the internet that only need to be tried by machine.
The golden rules for secure passwords
- A secure password consists of at least eight characters in upper and lower case, including special characters and numbers in any order.
- Every account, whether it's your Cockpit login, your Amazon account or your email inbox, needs its own complex password.
- Long passwords are generally more secure than short ones. Your password should not just be a simple combination of words, a logical sequence of numbers, a series of letters or a keyboard pattern.
- Names, dates of birth and other information that can be easily understood by third parties are taboo when assigning passwords. Do not write down passwords digitally on your PC or other electronic devices.
- Protect yourself from prying eyes when you enter your passwords. This way, you can rule out the possibility of people reading and misusing your data.
Create and manage passwords with the password manager
A complex password is very difficult to crack - and it is also very difficult to remember such a password.
An easy way to create secure, complex passwords and to have passwords to hand is to use a password manager. Password managers are programs that manage user names and passwords. Password managers use encryption and a complex master password to keep passwords secure.
They work in a similar way to a notebook that is locked in a drawer and whose contents are therefore only visible to the owner. The advantage is obvious: instead of many different passwords, you only have to remember the password for your password manager.
More information and some suggestions offers the German Federal Office for Information Security
Double is better
In addition to a password, use another factor for logging in, for example your fingerprint, facial recognition or an authenticator app on your smartphone. You can read more about this under "Two-factor authentication".