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Hackers and other online criminals are getting more sophisticated every day.  Having strong passwords for your accounts has never been more important. While it is not practical to use a random series of letters and numbers, there is an easy way to create a similarly strong password that is still fairly easy to remember.

The first step is to start with a phrase that you can remember, such as "INeedAStrongPassword”. Next, replace one or more of the letters and add a special character (something other than a letter or number), so your password may look like this: NeedA$trongPa$$word.

From there, replace some of the letters with similar numbers. For example, replacing the letter "o" with the number "0", like so: !NeedA$tr0ngPa$$w0rd.

Lastly, adjust the upper and lower case in a way that's memorable but not immediately obvious, such as capitalizing the letters that are in your name. If you're name is Steve, you're password would look like this: !nEEda$Tr0ngpa$$w0rd.

In just a few steps, you've created a password that you can still remember but, at first glance, is unrecognizable. Best of all, you've made your account that much more secure.

How to Tell a Forged Email from a Real One

If you’re like most people, about 90% of the mail that comes to your personal inbox these days is unwanted — from seemingly harmless sales emails to viruses disguised as the latest joke or gossip. Fortunately, there are a few good techniques to use when determining if an email is legitimate.

One of the most obvious methods is looking at the “From:” address.  It is not going to be the spammer’s real email address; that would be too easy to trace back to them.  Instead, they will use a fake address or a real address that is not connected to them.  And to give their email the best chance of getting through, spammers will choose a common domain, such as @hotmail.com or @yahoo.com.  No anti-spam service can block a domain that produces so much legitimate email.

Another place to look is the grammar, spelling and even the words used.  Emails coming from large, legitimate companies are proofread before they are sent; a badly written email should be a red flag.  Along those same lines, large companies generally do not use multiple exclamation points (!!!!!) or casual words (Hey, Yo, Dude) in their communications.  If a word or phrase seems out of place, be suspicious.

Finally, be aware of what the email wants you to do.  If it has an attachment, assume it is a virus.  It is safer to make that assumption than it is to take your chances by clicking it.  If there is a link in the email, roll your mouse pointer over it without clicking.  Most email programs will show you where the link will take you.  If you get an email that claims to be from a legitimate company, but the link goes to a site you’ve never heard of, you should investigate further before clicking.

These types of emails would not be so common if they weren’t working.  If we all spent a little more time looking before we leaped, we would not only stay safer, we would also reduce the amount of spam that’s sent.

Let me know if you have any comments, questions, or suggestions.
Write David W. Weatherholt at david@bnewsviews.com

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