We hear a lot about creating strong passwords. So while we are talking about passwords relating to your WordPress blog, the reality is that this applies to any site that you would be logging in to. Sadly, even with all the talk about passwords, many are still creating passwords that the hackers have no trouble breaking. So, let’s look at just how a hacker determines your password, because this could help you understand just what you need to do to create a strong password.
Sometimes, it’s as easy as a user creating a password like 12345 or 54321 and thinking they are secure that gets them in trouble, but some people actually do try to create a good password and still find they have been hacked. That’s because hackers have gotten very smart at cracking passwords.
- Variations – The programs these hackers use allow them to try many variations. So simply placing a number or character at the end of your password will not make it any securer.
- Tricks – Hackers know most of the same tricks you do for coming up with a password. They know that a person replaces certain letters with numbers or symbols. They know that a person replaces phrases, words or quotes. If you read about a trick to make your password stronger, remember the hackers likely also read about it and so will implement it in their hacking schemes.
- Predictable – You may think your password is random, but it likely isn’t. People are much more predictable than you might think, and the hackers will take advantage of that. If you think choosing a phrase from the Bible, is safe think again. If you think a phrase from a literature piece is safe, you’d be wrong. Hackers use dictionaries to find words that can be used as passwords, but they also use tools like YouTube, or Wikipedia, to name just a couple, to discover the most common quotes and phrases, to learn what slang is currently popular, and even to find words that have been made up online.
- Password Breaches – Whenever hackers explore a volume of password data, they are able to get a better understanding of just how people arrive at their passwords that goes far beyond common words and phrases.
- Brute Force – There is no question that often hackers will rely on what are called brute force technique, which will run through millions of password combinations in short periods of time. Hackers can use these tools offline so using login limiters is of no benefit in these situations.
Now that you have a better understanding of how hackers figure out your password, you’ll be able to create a stronger password.