5 steps to create strong passwords for digital devices and accounts

Starting from staying connected to education and entertainment, youngsters are largely dependent on digital devices and the internet.  However, the virtual world poses a lot of threats including cyber crime and bullying. So, it is essential to make sure that the devices used by your children are password protected. Also, help them create strong passwords for their social media and other online accounts. Using symbols, numbers, a combination of uppercase and lowercase will make their passwords strong. Here are five smart password creation strategies to ensure the safety of your kids’ digital devices and online accounts. 

Avoid using your name and date of birth in password 
If your child uses her name and date of birth as passwords for her online accounts, hackers will find it easy to identify and crack them. For example, if your child’s birthday is on 8th March, make sure she doesn’t use 0803 or 0308 as the pin or password. These are pieces of generic which are easily available on social media profiles  or other digital accounts.  

Use a mix of numericals, alphabets and special signs 
It is always preferred to have a password which has no direct connection with the user. A combination of numbers, alphabet and signs can help her ensure a strong password that is difficult to hack. Your child can also use capital letters or uppercase and lowercase letters to add strength to your existing password. If she finds it difficult to memorise her passwords, she can note them down in a diary or save all of them together on a device.  

Create long passwords 
Experts believe that having a password with minimum of 12 characters ensures strong protection. Having a short password makes your kids’ digital accounts more vulnerable to cyber attacks. He should avoid using a password consisting of 8 or less characters. The longer the password, the better the safety! 

Avoid using common words 
Hackers are always one step ahead of us. Their prediction skills are very sharp. So, it’s better to avoid using commonly used words which are easily predictable. Also, make sure that your kids do not use words that are usually combined together. For example, red velvet cake, serial killer, school kid, all are popular combination of words. These are not tough to identify. 

Check the strength of password 
Most of the websites employ a technology that will assist in setting up a strong password. This technology shows the strength of the password created. If it’s showing weak or moderate, it means that a stronger alternative needs to be tried.