Have You Heard About Using Strong Passwords?

You’ve heard it time and again… use strong passwords… but how many of us put it into practice? We naturally want a password that we can remember. Hackers know that!

Why Do Sites Get Hacked?

The #1 reason WordPress sites get hacked is using ‘admin’ or ‘administrator’ as the username. Using the name of your site or business makes you almost as vulnerable. Why? Because it’s easy for hackers to guess and then they are halfway there.

Now all they have to do is figure out your password. And since ‘123456’ and ‘password’ are two of the top passwords used, you can see how vulnerable we allow ourselves to be. Check out the most popular passwords of 2022.

Why Me?

You might ask yourself why anyone would want to target you. Trust me, it’s nothing personal. Hackers use tools that search for vulnerabilities in seconds and they don’t have to look far.

A recent investigation has concluded that 73% of WordPress sites are vulnerable to attack! That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t use WordPress. It means that you can’t leave things to chance.

The First Step is Strong Passwords

Using strong passwords is the first step in making your site more secure. And it’s something we all have control over.

But it goes beyond your website. Anybody who cracks or guesses your password can log in to your bank, your social media, or your email.

I hate coming up with passwords as much as the next person, but there are tools that can assist you in selecting a strong one.

Password Generators

One option is to use a password generator. One that I like is Secure Password Generator. It allows me to choose the number of characters and what characters to include. It also gives me the option to choose a word-based password. A third feature is the ability to check the security of an existing password, or one you are considering using.

I know what you’re thinking… how in the world can you remember that nonsensical string of letters, numbers and characters?

Sure, you could write it down but what if you make a mistake when you’re entering it? It’s can be very frustrating! I know people who have a document on their computers with all their passwords on it. That’s an option to consider because you can copy/paste and don’t run the risk of mistyping it.

Password Managers

The best option is to use a Password Manager because then you only need to remember the one password that gives you access to your password manager. They allow you to generate a strong password and save it. Sign into it and then when you log into something it will autofill for you. I love that feature!

There are several to choose from, both free and premium. The most popular are LastPass and 1Password, but choose one that works for you. I have used LastPass for years and find it easy to use and refer to.