Learning from own mistakes is good, learning from others mistakes is wonderful. Way back in 2007 I received a email from a hacker asking my password. Though I was aware and quite sure this is a hacker I gave password to learn how the person other side is going to behave, it was truly risky and idiotic but I did that. As soon I provided password my email stopped working for obvious reasons. Next he emailed to all my contacts from my email telling them a story that “I am in troubled and trapped in a certain location and I need money close to Dollar 5000”. All my contacts were aware about what I was upto and hence I was saved.

I tried recovering my password and I was successful in this. The person who hacked my password changed many things in email settings. Later, voluntarily I abandoned that email to save my skin from any unwanted trouble.

That was 2007, if today you ask me to repeat same mistake I won’t do. Two reasons: 1. That was for study and 2. In those days I was working full time so there was nothing much inside my email. But today I am a professional. I can’t risk an existing email account.

Human make mistakes, so do you, me and everyone else. Hackers use many tricks to get through your data. Modern thieves keep eyes not on gold but on your smartphones and computers. In today’s world environment our personal data is lesser on paper and more on cloud.

We need to safeguard our data more than anything else. For your education here are top 10 password mistakes that you must avoid doing.

1. Write password on a notebook or Sticky

Keeping notes of important things in a diary is a good habit. But password in no way is part of your to do list. If you forget passwords often then use some password managers and there are many. So instead of remembering many passwords you will need to remember only one. The best way is to lock all your password under single password using some password management tool. Again if you feel you need to keep it in written, don’t write in a common notebook or note taking app. Make a separate diary and keep the commodity in a place where nobody can reach other than YOU. Remember, a secret is no more a secret if two people know about it.

2. Too simple password

Common phrase or words like ‘Shakespeare’ or ‘World is round’ are not too good to make for a password or password security question. Once, one of my fried challenged me to break through her password. I observed her behavior for 6 months or so. Next, you can guess what may have happened. No I am not a hacker or a thief. But a challenge is a challenge. Your daughter is beautiful, treat her with chocolates and toys but do not make her name part of your password.

3. Use personal information in password

Personal information is not for sharing between unknown people. Name, address, name of city you were born / studied, anniversary date or a place you love visiting again and again or wish to visit are absolute no to make a password. Also phone, number, mobile number or social security number or anything that is part of your information cannot be part of your password. When hackers get through a database where your information is saved chances of your personal information getting exposed is high.

4. Personal Name or Login a password

Computer and networking professional generally have a log in id and password to login into company network. A network login id in any form reversed, capitalized, or doubled is not suitable for a password. Don’t use nick name, short name, pen name, initial name or surname etc as part of your password. If you do that you are not only exposing your personal information to hackers but in a way also of your company which is dangerous.

5. A Simple to Guess password

I accepted my friend’s challenge and through her password because it was simple to guess. Although it took 6 months time but later pizza with coke was fun. I am not a hacker in any sense. Wrong doers uses many techniques to get through your data, may be your behavior, common words that you utter, a personality to who you are a fan of or a book you read often. BEWARE.

6. Make a password of only Letters

May be your password is good enough and made of uncommon words. But a password made of only letters is dangerous. A good password must contain letters, symbols, and upper and lower case characters. For example Antarctica is a bad password. However a @nTaArct1c@a could be a good password. Caution: Do not use this. This password just becomes a crap. If you can read this article so can a hacker.

7. Too short password

A short password is easy to remember and type. However, guessing and cracking through it is equally easy. For example a password 321imP very easy to remember but if you keep such password then is your turn to get hacked. A good password should be 8 – 10 characters long mixed with letters, numbers, upper and lower cases.

8. Too old password

Your password is like slippers. You need to change them after a certain time. In too old slippers you may fell and break your bones. No matter how good looking they are. Similarly you need to change your password periodically. Ssssss, do not tell your friends how often you change your passwords. Hacking often happens on the basis of guesses. Problem with too old password is if someone spying on your machine and toiling between options then sooner or later he / she will have a guess.

9. Always the Same

Keeping one password for very long time is a dangerous habit. Sometime, let’s do it tomorrow thing give us a run a life. We live things for tomorrow and when we realize it become very late. You never know how many hackers are running behind you in hope to get through your data. Keep changing to give them a run. But how often, you are best judge to decide. I change my password when I login in to any network in presence of my mother LOL.

10. You Can’t Keep Secrets

How many other people know your password? Your password is not a secret if someone else knows it. Sometime you share on the basis of trust between your family and friends or just because it’s need of the hour. Do not share your password even to a closest friend. A password is plainly a personal stuff and unique in its own sense. DO NOT SHARE. Some people have bad habits of uttering important words in front of strangers. Do not do that. A password is private thing and not to say or show in public. It’s more private than your bedroom.

A good password is something scripted in back of your mind which only you know.