How do I choose a good password?
Your password is stored on our servers in encrypted format, so that it can't be read by anyone. The most likely way that someone could break into your account is if they were to guess your password - so choose a password that you will remember, but that someone else cannot easily guess.
Some tips for choosing a good password and keeping it secure:
- Avoid obvious choices, like your name, spouse or child's name, phone number, license plate number, street address, or something about your favorite hobby. If a would-be hacker knows something about you, they will use that information to try to guess your password.
- Combine letters and numbers, upper-case and lower-case. To a computer, "R" and "r" are completely different, and so are the passwords that use them.
- Use your own method to remember your password. For example, think of an expression that your mother always used, then take the first letter from each word (or the last letter -- trickier still!) and use that as your password.
Never write your password down or save it in a file. You'd be surprised how many people write their passwords down on sticky notes and post them on their computer -- even when others have access to their computer, as in a workplace. If it's written down, someone else can read it and use it.