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by Big Mike McDaniel

If you spend any time at all on the Internet, you know there are thousands of website that want you to “log in” and create a username and password so you can see what’s behind the homepage. Many of these sites have noting to do with money or personal banking information. The log in helps them create a mailing list for marketing. There are other sites where credit card and personal information is requested.

Choosing a username and password can be very simple for those sites that pose no threat to your financial well-being (i.e. sites that do not ask for credit card or bank info). Use the same username and password. There is no reason to cook up James Bond passwords for a site anyone can “log” into. As your username, use the part of your eMail address in front of the @ sign. My eMail address is so my username for non-threatening sites is McD.

Select a password and use it all the time. I have a friend who uses “Password” as his password. A simple, easy to remember, repetitive, “Ho-Hum” username and password approach is ONLY for the run of the mill, everyday Internet sites. When you go to a Ho-Hum site it will be very easy to remember your username and password. Before entering your Ho-Hum combination, ask yourself “what if someone cracked into this site with my password?” If the answer does not change your life, be Ho-Hum. A “Secure” site is a different matter.

In selecting a “secure” password, many people choose something that will be easy for to remember, birthday, dog's name, telephone number even credit card pin numbers. These passwords may be easy to remember and also the first line of attack for a dedicated hacker. Collecting personal information about you is an easy trick and converting that information into sample password is the first thing that someone trying to break into your account will try. Password-guessing scripts and programs are easily available online and most will be able to provide access to your account if you are using a common word or phrase as your password.

Use a combination of letters, numbers, upper and lower case and possibly even characters if you want to really be secure. Obviously the longer your password is, the more difficult it will be for someone to crack.

Once you decide on your password, keep a separate list of all the sites where you enter that information. A lit of sites, not a written record of your “secure” password. That word should be in your head. Period. Save your list on a floppy disk (not your hard drive) and label it something “other” than what it really is, but something that will trigger your memory. “Ho-Hum List” would possibly remind you it is NOT your Ho-Hum list but your “secure” site list. “Bankruptcy” would help you to remember what could happen if a dedicated hacker could crack one or more of your accounts on the list.

The floppy disk and secure list are to be your secret. No need to explain it to anyone. Just remember to add to it each time you enter your “secure” password on the Internet. Now that you have a list of where to go, you can visit those sites on a quarterly basis and CHANGE your secure username and password. Frequent changes are a great defense. Security experts suggest you change your password quarterly. Leave the Ho-Hum sites alone, no threat there, just change your “secure” sites. But, remember how to remember your new password.

An easy way to develop a secure password is to use an algorithm and use it with a familiar word or phrase. Then all you do is remember that word and the algorithm and you're that much more secure.

For example, You could choose "Password" as your familiar word and use the algorithm of "upper left key". That is, when you spell out "Password" on your keyboard, rather than keying in "Password", you key the character that is to the upper left of the letter in your familiar code word. Thus "Password", which is very easy to remember, becomes "0qww294e", which is a random type password and not easy to remember and is far more secure than the common word "Password".

One suggestion is to use the same password, but put the number of the quarter in which it is valid in that position of the word. To illustrate we will use the password “Password” with an uppercase P. Whatever word or combination of letters you pick can use this system. “Password” used in first quarter would be “1 Password”, in second quarter (April May and June) it would be “Password”. Using this method the fourth quarter would be “Password”. If you decided to always make the letter after the quarter number UPPER case, fourth quarter would look like “password”.

By remembering your secure word and the method you use to change it, you will always be able to remember your secure username and password.

Remember to always determine if the site is “Ho-Hum” or if it needs your secret agent coding device. Make all secure passwords at least seven characters long and use a mix of letters, numbers and upper and lower case.

Never give your password to anyone. Not even your Ho-Hum word.

Never explain to anyone how you develop or remember your password.

Passwords are for your protection, but you can’t take them for granted. Develop an easy to remember system and change your word often.

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About the Author:

BIG Mike McDaniel is a media professional with over 30 years experience. BIG Mike, a former Major Market TV News Anchor and Successful Radio Station Owner is a Business Consultant who works full time to help people in business with sales, advertising and promotion ideas that REALLY work!