How do you pick the perfect password?

(Here’s a hint:  Don’t use your first name, or the word “password”).

Yahoo Tech has put together a nice roundup of articles they’ve featured regarding password security.  Most of us know not to write down our passwords for email, programs, and other online accounts.  A post-it note on your computer screen with your password is not the most secure method of remembering it. 

However, most people go too far the other direction.  They know they need to keep their password private and in their memory, so they end up choosing something easy to remember.  Problem is, most hackers have learned how to guess the “easy to remember” passwords. 

Here’s a list of the 10 most common passwords.  If your password is on that list…change it immediately. 

They also have an article on how to properly choose a safe password.  It’s full of great ideas such as using words that are easy to pronounce, but are spelled wrong (like “piktshure”). 

Here’s a great round-up of all sorts of general password safety tips. 

It’s pretty depressing to read that, given enough time, a hacker can figure out any password.  But that’s all the more reason to make it as tough for the hackers as we can.  Hopefully, they’ll move on to another person who hasn’t put as much effort into creating a secure password.