A Strong Step to Prevent Getting Hacked - Unique Passwords and How easy they really are to manage

[David Mary]

One of the biggest reasons people get hacked is that they use the same password for Bladeforums that they do for Facebook, online banking, their workplace payroll account, etc. If any one of those services suffers a data breach, that password and the email address associated with it will be available to bad actors, who will then have free reign to wreak havoc in your life by accessing any account you used those details for.

So if you use the same password everywhere or even in more than one service, stop. Change your passwords so they are all unique. It is a simple matter to come up with a system to make unique, but easy to remember passwords for each service.

Creating a Unique Password System​

1.​

• Start with a memorable base phrase or sentence that is meaningful to you. For example, “I love to travel in summer!” can be shortened to “IL2tI$!”.

2.​

• Add a unique element for each service you use. This could be the first letter of the service name, a number, or a special character. For example:
  • Facebook: IL2tI$!F
  • Amazon: IL2tI$!A
  • Bank: IL2tI$!B

3.​

• Replace certain letters with numbers or symbols to increase complexity. For instance, you can replace:
  • A = @
  • E = 3
  • I = 1
  • O = 0
• This can transform “IL2tI$!F” into “1L2t!F” for Facebook.

4.​

• Create a consistent pattern for how you modify your base phrase for each service. This could be:
  • Always adding the first letter of the service name at the end.
  • Using a specific number of characters from the service name.

5.​

• While complexity is important, ensure that your system is still easy for you to remember. Avoid overly complicated modifications that can lead to confusion.

Example of a Password System​

Let’s say your base phrase is “My favorite color is blue!” (Mfcib!). Here’s how you can create unique passwords:

• Netflix: Mfcib!N1
• Twitter: Mfcib!T2
• Gmail: Mfcib!G3

6.​

• As a best practice, periodically review and update your passwords, particularly if you suspect any account may have been compromised.

Bonus step:

7.​

• If you have many passwords and don't think you can remember them all, you can write them down in code for easy reference. Just make sure you remember at least the base phrase, and then you can write them down in a manner such as this:
• Netflix: Mfcib!N1 could be written as ******N1
• Twitter: Mfcib!T2 could be written as ******T2
• Gmail: Mfcib!G3 could be written as ******G3

​

Conclusion​

By developing a personal system for creating unique passwords, you can easily manage your online security without the need to remember a long list of complex passwords. This approach not only enhances your security but also makes your many accounts more manageable.

 

[Steven65]

Excellent suggestion, thanks. I'll be trying that.

I've been using steven1234 for years without a problem. Don't tell anyone.

 

[knarfeng]

Be advised that brute force attacks are a thing. So you need both complexity and length as well as uniqueness. Here is a chart showing how long a hacker using a brute force attack would require to break various password complexity/length levels. 8 characters is not going to cut it in this day and age.

How Long Does It Take for a Hacker to Crack a Password? 🤔

Find out precisely how long it'll take a hacker to crack a password as long - and as complex - as yours, and how you can improve it.

tech.co

 

[rjdankert]

FWIW

Bob

 

[ferider]

Good system, David.

Most hacks these days come via fishing .... never open a link, PDF file, etc., that you are not sure about. Via email, SMS, or anywhere, even on BF.

I get tons of emails that look like they come from Paypal these days, for instance.

Come to think of it, since the upgrade, many imgur links now don't show as embedded pics anymore, just as links. Sometimes, I'm asked to log into Imgur, or some other hosting site, which would easily be faked.

If I were a malicious hacker, I'd fish via a picture or movie link in the Exchange ....

 

[David Mary]

I feel a little sheepish for making my example passwords with so few characters. Thank you knarfeng for pointing out the dangers that entails. But my own personal passwords start in the 226 years range, except my chess.com password which you could easily brute force in a few decades.