Your passwords grant access into your own personal kingdom, so you are probably thinking ‘what are the best practices to create a strong password’ to protect your accounts against these cybercriminals. If your passwords were part of a breach, you will want to change them immediately.
So, what’s the solution? Uncrackable passwords. But before jumping to that, let’s first take a look at the various ways password can be hacked, so that you understand the most common methods being used today.
A secure password and updated recovery info help protect your Google Account.
Step 1: Create a strong password
A strong password helps you:
- Keep your personal info safe
- Protect your emails, files, and other content
- Prevent someone else from getting in to your account
Meet password requirements
Create your password using 8 characters or more. It can be any combination of letters, numbers, and symbols (ASCII-standard characters only). Accents and accented characters aren’t supported.
You can’t use a password that:
- Is particularly weak. Example: “password123”
- You’ve used before on your account
- Starts or ends with a blank space
Follow tips for a good password
A strong password can be memorable to you but nearly impossible for someone else to guess. Learn what makes a good password, then follow these tips to create your own.
A secure password and updated recovery info help protect your Google Account.
Step 1: Create a strong password
A strong password helps you:
- Keep your personal info safe
- Protect your emails, files, and other content
- Prevent someone else from getting in to your account
Meet password requirements
Create your password using 8 characters or more. It can be any combination of letters, numbers, and symbols (ASCII-standard characters only). Accents and accented characters aren’t supported.
You can’t use a password that:
- Is particularly weak. Example: “password123”
- You’ve used before on your account
- Starts or ends with a blank space
Follow tips for a good password
A strong password can be memorable to you but nearly impossible for someone else to guess. Learn what makes a good password, then follow these tips to create your own.
Make your password longer & more memorable
Long passwords are stronger, so make your password at least 8 characters long. These tips can help you create longer passwords that are easier to remember. Try to use:
- A lyric from a song or poem
- A meaningful quote from a movie or speech
- A passage from a book
- A series of words that are meaningful to you
- An abbreviation: Make a password from the first letter of each word in a sentence
Avoid choosing passwords that could be guessed by:
- People who know you
- People looking at easily accessible info (like your social media profile)
Avoid personal info & common words
Don’t use personal info
Avoid creating passwords from info that others might know or could easily find out. Examples:
- Your nickname or initials
- The name of your child or pet
- Important birthdays or years
- The name of your street
- Numbers from your address
Don’t use common words & patterns
Avoid simple words, phrases, and patterns that are easy to guess. Examples:
- Obvious words and phrases like “password” or “letmein”
- Sequences like “abcd” or “1234”
- Keyboard patterns like “qwerty” or “qazwsx”
Keep passwords secure
After you create a strong password, take steps to keep it safe.
Hide written passwords
If you need to write your password down, don’t leave it on your computer or desk. Make sure any written passwords are stored somewhere that’s secret or locked.
Manage your passwords with a tool
If you have trouble remembering multiple passwords, consider using a trusted password manager. Take some time to research the reviews and reputations of these services.
You can also use your Google Account to save passwords for you.
Step 2: Be prepared if someone gets your password
Your recovery info is used to help you in case we detect unusual activity in your account.
Add a recovery email address
- Go to your Google Account.
- On the left navigation panel, click Personal info.
- On the Contact info panel, click Email.
- Click Add Recovery Email.
Add a recovery phone number
- Go to your Google Account.
- On the left navigation panel, click Personal info.
- On the Contact info panel, click Phone.
- Click Add Recovery Phone.
Recovery info can be used to help you:
- Find out if someone else is using your account
- Take back your account if someone else knows your password
- Get in to your account if you forget your password or can’t sign in for another reason
Make your account more secure
Get personalized advice to improve your account’s security.
