Choosing a password is one of those things that everybody has to do at some point, though many passwords are not very secure due to choices in selection and maintenance. Whether the password is for a social networking web site, a web-based seller, or simply just your email, all of your passwords really should be kept as securely as possible as a way to protect your assets and your identity.

Listed below are some guidelines that can help be certain that your passwords are secure:

• The ideal password size is between ten and fifteen characters long. This really is generally short enough for you to remember but long enough to discourage a brute force attack (a simple type of a password cracking attempt).

• Avoid passwords that are easily guessed because of their association with you. Your name and the names of anyone in your family, as an example, are very simple passwords to crack. Additional easily guessed passwords include names of pets or important dates including anniversaries and birthdays.

• Also avoid using any passwords which are actual words that can be found in a dictionary. There are a great deal of programs that attempt to use every word in the dictionary as a password. These kinds of programs also frequently try to add random numbers to a given word (such as turning "kitty" into "kitty2") or to spell words backwards, so those possibilities should not be used as passwords.

• The best passwords are usually alphanumeric combinations (sequences of numbers and letters) which aren't composed of actual words but instead are made of syllables that you can easily remember mixed with numbers. Using a combination of capital and lowercase letters will also help ensure a secure password. Ideally, this mix is also pronounceable, as opposed to a random string of letters and numbers, as the pronounceable password will likely be easier for you to remember. As an example, a password such as "vgie38hA" is very secure but not very memorable, while "Soe6bam" can be repeated to yourself out loud and therefore remembered much more easily.

• Passwords which consist of obvious sequences can take slightly more time to crack, but they are by no means secure. "123456" or "abcdefg" are easily recognizable patterns which will almost certainly be attempted by absolutely everyone trying to guess your password, as are patterns based on keyboard layout like "qwerty" or "zaq1xsw2" (examine the left side of a keyboard for the latter example).

• Use a different password for every occasion. Using the same password for everything is regrettably common and very dangerous. Once the password is known to work for one use, it will likely be tried for all other applications. Using a different password every time prevents the loss of all security in the case that one password is compromised.

• Change your passwords frequently. The longer you keep the same password, the bigger the chance that it is going to be compromised. Changing your passwords every six months or so will help to make sure that the passwords are secure regardless of whether they have already been discovered and simply never used.

• You may have to write your password down in the event you can't remember it. If this is the case, don't leave the written copy of your password anywhere that's immediately obvious such as your desk or your wallet. One option is to lock it up somewhere (such as a filing cabinet, lock-box, or other secure container) for which you have the only key. Another possible method is to write the password down on the edge of a page in a favorite book - avoid writing it down on a bookmark placed in a book, however, are these are easy for you to lose and for an intruder to find.

• Never give your password to anyone. The best password is one that you, and only you, know. No one else needs to know you password - not your spouse, your family members, your buddies, or your co-workers. Your system administrator doesn't need to know your password, since that person should be able to reset your password in case of emergency anyway.