Monday, 1 August 2016

Strong Passwords & Password Management

Image saying "Strong Passwords"
source: intermedia.net
It should always be kept in mind that the first principle of cyber-security is strong passwords. A simple dictionary word or a combination of dictionary words are always susceptible to hacking. Brute-force dictionary attacks are the most common methods used by hackers to crack passwords. And as a matter of fact, some of the most high profile social media cracks are a result of weak passwords from the victims' side.

It is always a good habit to keep passwords strong, random, gibberish and unique. Predictable passwords are a real security threat.

But there is also a downside to strong passwords. An intrinsic limitation, strong passwords are hard to memorize, and at times it becomes practically impossible to memorize multiple strong passwords.

And this is the time when password managers become quite handy. Password managers are simple programs that keep a secure & encrypted database of all the strong passwords for your multiple accounts. But to keep all the passwords secure you need a single pass key, preferably the most strongest password. And it is the one that you truly need to memorize.

One single strong password that will keep all your strong passwords safe is the philosophy behind password management. What if the key to your password manager is compromised? Well, in that case, its all over for you.

Simply put, the key to your password manager becomes the single most important & valuable asset in terms of your information security. One cannot afford to lose this key.

But it becomes highly unlikely that a very strong password is cracked unless a person is tricked into revealing it himself.

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