Strong Usernames and Passwords

 

As a blogger I have a plugin (super helpful useful things to make stuff run better) installed to help protect me against hacking and unauthorized logins. If you attempt to log into my blog three times using the wrong combination you will be locked out. I then receive an email and a couple of things happen. One I place the IP given into my blocked file. I think take the time to change my password, depending on the the number of various attempts during the day.

 

 

Sounds like a lot of work huh? You would not believe how often people do attempt to login. I am always amazed because it is not like I keep a lot of information. To be honest for as technically dependent as I am I am also a bit old school. I still receive a lot of paper bills and don’t have online accounts for a lot of things that you would typically find people having them for. The reason is simple, less stuff for me to remember. As well as harder to hack. You can’t hack what isn’t there. I also change my password every three weeks on all of the accounts that I have. Making sure that each one is anywhere from ten to twenty various letter, number, and symbols combinations. Don’t worry I know them because I am a Mnemonist which means I have the  unusual ability to recall long lists of information including names, numbers, etc.  In fact I still remember every upc number from my days working in the grocery store.

 

One of the things that always amazes me is the username that they try to use. I do try to use something beyond the obvious and change those regularly on the places that I am allowed to. I know what it is to be hacked because I have been in the past and it taught me a valuable lesson. One that I practice as much as I am able to. Using a strong password seems like the one thing we should all know nowadays but the truth is we are lazy by nature and forget things easily so we go with easy….almost every time.