How safe is your password?

The first step in protecting your online privacy is creating a safe password - i.e. one that a computer program or persistent individual won't easily be able to guess in a short period of time. To help you choose a secure password, Google has created a feature that lets you know visually how safe your password is as soon as you create it.

Tips for creating a secure password:

• Include punctuation marks and/or numbers.
• Mix capital and lowercase letters.
• Include similar looking substitutions, such as the number zero for the letter 'O' or '$' for the letter 'S'.
• Create a unique acronym.
• Include phonetic replacements, such as 'Luv 2 Laf' for 'Love to Laugh'.

Things to avoid:

• Don't reuse passwords for multiple important accounts, such as Gmail and online banking.
• Don't use a password that is listed as an example of how to pick a good password.
• Don't use a password that contains personal information (name, birth date, etc.)
• Don't use words or acronyms that can be found in a dictionary.
• Don't use keyboard patterns (asdf) or sequential numbers (1234).
• Don't make your password all numbers, uppercase letters or lowercase letters.
• Don't use repeating characters (aa11).

Tips for keeping your password secure:

• Never tell your password to anyone (this includes significant others, roommates, parrots, etc.).
• Never write your password down.
• Never send your password by email.
• Periodically test your current password and change it to a new one.