Passwords are your keys to accessing electronically stored information.  In many cases you may not notice until it is too late that important details, regarding your identity or your business, have been used.  It is critical to create 'strong' passwords and keep them well protected, whilst also being able to remember them.

A strong password is one that appears complex and would be difficult to guess.  To achieve this:

Make it lengthy - Each character that you add increases the amount of tries needed to correctly guess the password.  Your passwords should be at least 8 or more characters in length and can contain multiple words and sometimes spaces. 

Add letters, numbers, and symbols - A greater variety of characters makes your password harder to guess.  Punctuation symbols are very valuable for password strength, including those not found on the upper row of the keyboard (e.g. ?   {   {   ]  ).

Include words that are easy for you to remember, but difficult for others to guess -The name of your first pet or your mother's maiden name is easy to remember because it is meaningful to you, but not easy for others to guess.

Avoid sequences or repeated characters -  "12345678," "222222," "abcdefg," or adjacent letters on your keyboard are common combinations that hackers will try.

Avoid your name - Any part of your name, birthday or similar information should be avoided, especially if it is displayed on common identification cards which can be lost or stolen (e.g. your driver's license). 

Avoid using only a single dictionary word - Hackers use sophisticated computer software that will attempt to guess passwords using multiple language dictionaries, including words spelled backwards, common misspellings, and substitutions.