About

Randy Tyler is a recognized pioneer and expert in Online Volunteer program development. Since 1998, his work has been noted by numerous news sources from The New York Times to CTV's Canada AM, and shared with non-profit organizations through provincial, national and international conference presentations and published articles. Randy provides training, workshops, presentations and consultation for non-profit organizations. He is a Gold Medallist graduate of both the University of Winnipeg and the University of Manitoba. For further information, please visit: http://www.RandyTyler.org

The following content is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 Unported License.

TwitterFacebookLaconi.ca/Identi.caPlurkLinkedIn

 

Free Program Checks the Strength of Your Current Passwords or Creates Secure Passwords

(download)

Do You use the Same Password in Different Places?

If you use the same password for your e-mail account, Twitter and your online banking, cracking your Twitter account, for example, makes your other accounts vulnerable to cyber criminals. A recent study by Trusteer (which I cited in an earlier post) based on a sample of more than four million users, many of whom are customers of leading North American and European banks, of the Rapport browser security service found that passwords were being re-used in surprising numbers (73 percent).

Although creating a number of different, strong passwords for each of your accounts may at first seem cumbersome, Trusteer's findings suggest that many online users are leaving themselves more vulnerable if they do not. Thus, the first question seems apparent: How does one create a strong password?

How to Create a Strong Password

  • Create a password that is easy to remember but difficult to guess
  • Your password should not contain words found in a dictionary or other personal information that prying eyes may guess, know about you or can easily find (such as your birth date, address, telephone number)
  • Your password should contain a minimum of 14 random characters combining upper (A-Z) and lower case (a-z) letters, numbers (0-9) and special characters (@#$%^!)
  • Your password should be different for each place (whether your e-mail, your Facebook account or computer log-in) requiring a password .
  • To test the strength of one of your current passwords (or to create one to secure 100 passwords at one time), please read about the free Secure Password Generator below.
Free Secure Password Generator

PC Tools, the developer of Registry Mechanic and Spyware Doctor offers a free PC desktop-based Secure Password Generator (see the screen capture above) and a password strength tester to test your current or created passwords (see the screen capture above). The 392 KB application, which does not require installation, can be downloaded from the following URL:

http://www.pctools.com/guides/password/

PC Tools also offers a Web-based Secure Password Generator if you do not want to download the aforementioned desktop application. Use the SSL connection (which provides an encrypted connection between your computer and PC Tools' Web server) when if you decide to create a secure password via their Web site so your password is not created in the clear. Their online password generator, using a secure (https) connection is located the following URL:

https://secure.pctools.com/guides/password/

Whether using the online or desktop version, the password generator can create up to a 64 character password with an accompanying Phonetic Pronunciation (to possibly assist with recall). Using the online password generator, you can create one to 50 passwords at one time and one to100 passwords with the desktop program.

For further information about how a non profit organization can develop a productive virtual volunteering program through the use of appropriate technology, please visit this Online Volunteering Resource.

Tags   Charity   Free-Program-Creates-Strong-Passwords   Free-Program-Tests-Password-Strength   How-to-Create-Strong-Passwords   How-to-Make-Secure-Passwords   How-to-Store-Passwords-Securely   How-to-Test-Password-Strength   How-toCreate-Secure-Passwords   NPTech   Non-Profit   Online-Volunteering-Screening   Online-Volunteering-Security   Passwords   Randy-Tyler   Security   Virtual-Volunteering-Security-Tips   randytyler.org