Avoid Using Your Favorite Password Over and Over Again
From banking online to ordering groceries to logging into social media accounts, we all need to use passwords to access our accounts. Part of staying safe and secure online has a lot to do with these passwords, even though we may not realize it. It’s common for people to use the same password across all of their accounts, from banking to Facebook to household utilities and email accounts.
Common Password Types
Passwords are often deeply personal expressions of oneself, with the goal of making them easier to remember. Take a look at the common password types that we like to rely on.
| Type | Common Definition |
| Name | First or Common Name |
| Word | General work – Dictionary |
| Key Walk | Keystroke pattern – easy to remember |
| Sports | Sport, Sports Team, League |
| Place | Easily identifiable City, State, Country, Place |
| Character | Fictional Character |
| Animal | Animal |
| Food | Food type, ingredient |
| Uncategorized | Automated/ Randomly Generated |
| Clever | Unique/ Clever |
| Password | Variation of the word “Password” |
| Transportation | Automobile, Transportation |
| Religious | Religious Affiliation, Meaning or Person |
| Website | Email Address or Common URL |
| Love | Association with the emotion/ feeling |
| Naughty | Association with controversial often vulgar terms |
| Band | Popular Music of all genres |
| Season | Weather/ Season related |
| Color | Common Colors |
| Greeting | Common and Localized Greetings |
| Month | Calendar Months |
| Military | Association with military, war, weaponry |
| Horoscope | Astrological Signs |
| Alphabet Walk | Sequential pattern (alphanumeric & non alphanumeric) |
Repeating Passwords
It’s estimated that the average US adult has between 90 and 135 applications that require a set of credentials needed for access. If someone manages to correctly guess your favorite password, then they have access to all of your online accounts. If your personal and financial information falls into the wrong hands, it can be difficult and expensive to repair.
Protect Your Passwords
Protect your accounts and protect your passwords by creating a strong one for each of your accounts. The general rules to follow are:
- Minimum of 12 characters
- Include numbers and symbols
- Mix up upper- and lower-case letters
- Don’t rely on obvious substitutions (e.g. H0us3)
Remember to change your passwords with the seasons. A few minutes of preparation now can help to secure your accounts and safeguard them from hackers.
