Strong passwords are important because password cracking tools always continue to improve and the computers used to crack passwords are always becoming more powerful. Passwords that would once of taken weeks to break can now be in a matter of hours.
For a password to be strong and hard to break, it should:
>Be at least seven characters long..
>Contain characters from each of the following three groups:
L etters (uppercase and lower case)
Numbers
Symbols
>Be significantly different from prior passwords.
>Not contain your name or user name.
>Not be a word or a name found in any dictionary.
Password cracking software use one of the following three approaches to crack passwords: intelligent guessing, dictionary attacks, and automation that tries every possible combination of characters. Given enough time, the automated method can crack any password, however, it can still take months to crack a strong password.
To ensure maximum security, passwords must be used carefully. These recommendations
will help protect your passwords:
>Never write down your passwords.
>Never share your passwords with anyone.
>Never use your network logon password for another purpose.
>Change your password every at least every 50 to 80 days.
>Change your passwords immediately if you think they have been compromised.