Whether you have a new or used iMac^®, iPad^®, or iPhone^®, creating a strong password is essential to prevent hackers from logging on. Think of how much information—from banking and credit cards to family and personal details—you plug into these devices on a regular basis. Protecting these devices, as well as the sites you log onto, from threats is essential to your security.

How to Create Strong Passwords

1. Don’t Use a Standard Password 

Don’t use a predictable password, such as “123456,” a string of 1s, “password,” or “password123.” These are the most common passwords and are easy to guess. Others to avoid include pet names and birthdays, which hackers can guess if they’ve accessed your personal information or found your social media pages. Try to avoid using names or dictionary words at all, unless you’re mixing up letters with numbers. For instance, if you want to use a word, consider substituting O” for a zero or “E” for “3” and adding other letters, numbers, or special characters before or after the name. 

2. Don’t Use the Same Password

Even if your initial password is quite strong, it will lose its strength if you use it on your used iMac, iPad, and iPhone or across multiple accounts. Many people use the same password across multiple platforms because it’s easier to remember. Instead, if you have difficulty remembering completely different passwords, consider using variations on a theme. For example, you may add extra letters or numbers to your initial password, change the capitalization of individual letters, or choose related words.

3. Make It Long

The longer your password is, the more difficult it will be for others to guess. Computer hacking programs can try hundreds of thousands of passwords in a second. Using a mixture of upper and lower case letters, numbers, and symbols will increase the complexity. Many sites and devices have a minimum length, typically eight characters; a password of 12 or more characters is even better.

4. Protect & Update

Once you’ve established your passwords, protect them from being discovered. Don’t write them on pieces of paper and leave them on your desk or used iMac as a reminder. If you need to write them down, keep the note in a safe or vault at home. Also, update them every few months. You can set a reminder on your iPhone or laptop when it’s time to change them. Many businesses use this method to protect their employees’ logins. 

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