Keys to protecting your accounts: how to create a secure password

Although there is a growing awareness around the creation of secure passwords, there is still a large sector of society that does not pay enough attention to this aspect. However, a secure password can prevent unauthorized access to personal accounts that store sensitive data such as photos, videos or even bank details. We must think that passwords are the only barrier there is to protect our privacy, and it is our responsibility to make it sufficiently out and robust so that it can not be breached. In this way, we protect ourselves against possible identity theft, financial theft, etc. In addition, we must take into account that, many times, our accounts are linked, so that, by accessing one, they could access others. Therefore, from TRUST Lab, in keeping with our commitment to create a reliable digital environment, we have four fundamental tips to create secure passwords:

• Include uppercase and lowercase letters.
• Include special characters.
• Create passwords with a minimum length of 12 characters.
• Avoid common words.

In addition, it is advisable not to use the same password for all accounts. Although at first glance it may seem inconvenient to have many different passwords, it is the best way to ensure that, if one is breached, it does not affect the rest of your accounts. Another option is to use mnemonic rules or to use a base word that can be varied, taking into account that this initial word or phrase must include uppercase, lowercase, numbers and a special character. For example: Password9!In addition, you can replace the letters with numbers. The letter o for zeros, or A for a 4. Your base password would then look like this: C0ntr4señ49!Once you have the base password, you can modify it for each account you create. Include data about that platform, such as the first two letters and a special character. For example, for your TikTok account, your password could be TiC0ntr4señ49!Vary the combinations for each account and be sure to protect yourself against possible theft attempts. *This initiative is carried out within the framework of the funds of the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan, financed by the European Union (Next Generation), the project of the Government of Spain that outlines the roadmap for the modernization of the Spanish economy, the recovery of economic growth and job creation, for the solid, inclusive and resilient economic reconstruction after the COVID19 crisis, and to respond to the challenges of the next decade.