6 Tips for Creating Stronger Passwords

Passwords are now a part of everyday life, but many users don't realize the importance of using a secure password, one that can't easily be overcome by a brute-force attack. Web-based password management service PassPack offers these tips for creating strong passwords:

1. Use as many characters as a site will let you, and as different as possible - try not to repeat letters, use uppercase, lowercase, and numbers. If possible, also use symbols.
2. Don't use any personal information someone can figure out. For example, anybody's name, your telephone number, and your address, your favorite movie star, etc. are all to be avoided.
3. If possible, choose a long sentence for your password, like "A Butterfly Caught Dice" - to remember the password think of the first letter of each word - ABCD (pretty simple way to remember it, right?)
4. Never write down your passwords in places where other people could have easy access to them (post-its, files on your computer, etc).
5. Do not use the same password for more than one Web site.
6. If for some reason you are not allowed to choose a long or complex password, then change your password every 3-4 months.