PASSWORDS
What is a password? Let's start there. The simplest definition is - it is a key to a door that unlocks some stuff. May be important or not. I'm gonna keep referring to passwords as "Keys" because throughout the article it's gonna be very important! (just wait for my climax, it's QT ending) Usually, we keep our home/rooms locked because we don't want any outsiders creeping at our PRIVATE things! Even some of our things are very private, especially we don't want our parents/family to look at them either.
Okay, let's get back to the topic. PASSWORDS. In the logical world (Websites, Software, Applications, Etc.) A password is a method to identify the person who is gaining access to a system/data/application. And your password must be a secret, shush! despite the fact that some people also share the same secret as you, which later going to be a huge problem (yeah we'll get there).
Yeah, I'm buttering you up real nice because remembering different secrets/passwords for each and every account of your social media, email, banking, school profile, LMS, etc. etc. is a very difficult task for everyone right!? yeah, that's really exhausting -_- you know what is easy? USING THE SAME PASSWORD FOR EVERYTHING!!!! yeah, you better use your only underwear for the rest of your life. Because that is also REAL EASY!
Okay, my question is this, Do all of your rooms, drawers, main doors all of them have the same KEY? Like do they unlock using the same key you have for your main door? or the only Key you have? NO! Absolutely NO. N-O, NO! Obviously now it makes sense right? why do you need different keys for different locks isn't it? Because if you lose your KEY or someone makes a copy of your KEY now that person has access to ALL OF YOUR THINGS!
The same thing goes with "PASSWORDS", your difficulty to remember numerous passwords will lead to the same problem, If you lose it or someone guesses it, you will lose all of your personal data.
Okay now you have a solution for that, you can use easy-to-remember passwords for each and every login you have.
Examples:-
1. Pa$$word
2. qwerty123
3. 12345678
4. your birthday
5. your name+123
6. your name + birthday
7. admin
8. password
9. your email
10. superman
wooowww!! You made it. You got yourself easy-to-remember passwords with everybody in it! It's like putting different locks for each and every door/drawers in your home and selling your Keys on eBay so everybody can have a look at your home. How nice? :)
Yeah, now it makes more sense right? You CANNOT have these lame-easy-to-remember-one-word-including-your-publicly-available-information passwords for your different logins even though it meets with "different passwords for different logins" scenario.
EASY-TO-REMEMBER-PASSWORDS
Okay, let's try and understand what is actually an easy-to-remember password really mean. Your password does not have to include all of the numerical characters, special characters, uppercase characters, lowercase characters, etc. etc. etc.
There's a newcomer to the password, it's called "Passphrase" it is a password but more like a sentence. Okay let's have a look,
Your normal password: Abc@123
Passphrase: I-love-drinking-coffee-so-much
Tadaaa! See how easy that is? and how easy to remember? and it is really so hard to guess, even if it's made out of a sentence and of course if you don't share it with anyone. And if you really wanna make it just a little safer or stronger password/passphrase try this,
I-L0ve-Drinking-C0ffee-S0-Much
See what I have done here? I changed starting letter to uppercase and letter "o" to numeric value "0" (zero) and I made one of the strongest passphrases ever. Any doubt?
I can't even spell that word, I think it's a lot of years so, using a passphrase is way better than using your public "passwords". And always you can change your passphrase according to password requirements made by your organization or your social media, banking, school accounts. And make sure NOT TO SHARE YOUR PASSWORD WITH ANYBODY not even with your "significant other". We'll discuss Dos and Don'ts of your Keys/Passwords/Underwear/Toothbrush at the end.
HOW TO REMEMBER YOUR PASSWORDS
Okay I know it is very difficult for us to remember passwords obviously passphrase even though it contains a sentence and it's just a little bit lengthy and sometimes we might lose the pattern or forget the pattern and we might get ourselves into a pickle. So that is why we have "Password Managers" yup, we can manage our passwords, store them in a safe like a vault. And keep them secure.
The password manager actually has the same functionalities as a Safe/Vault, we only need to worry about the combination. In this case a PIN or a Master Password.
So now remembering all the passwords days are GONE!!!!!! yeah but, only one master password and please treat that only 1 master password just like we are gonna talk about in Do's and Don'ts okay? Yeah.
Choosing your password manager :
Your password manager must be simple to use. It cannot be very technical and if you're not a techie it's not for you. It must be easy to understand as well.
Your password manager must be able to synchronize on multiple devices, that way you don't really have to do the same thing all over again in all of your devices. As soon as you input your passwords it will be available on all of the devices you have your password manager installed.
Use only well-known and trusted password managers. Too paranoid? I'll mention some of the reputed and trusted password managers below.
Please AVOID any password manager which allows you to recover your master password. That means they know your password and it's too much risk.
And your password manager must be able to store other sensitive information, such as secure notes, PIN numbers, Credit Card details, secret security questions, etc.
Password Managers - Recommendations
Above mentioned password managers have mobile applications and desktop applications as well. You will be able to use them across your devices. Make sure to use only one password manager for all of your devices. Otherwise, there's no point in multiple device synchronization. Plus they all have a free version and paid version as well.
PASSWORDS - DO's & DON'Ts
Ladies & Gentlemen, please treat your passwords as your Underwear or your Toothbrush or as your apartment KEY(please don't share) //
DON'T share your Password with anyone!
DON'T keep your Password leaving on the desk!
PLEASE change them regularly
and of course,
CHOOSE A GOOD ONE!
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