Password 
When it comes to password managers, there are a few common misconceptions, such as them being too risky to trust, vendors being unable to handle outages,
3 min read
Published on August 19, 2022
Updated on October 21, 2024.
The easiest way to create a strong, unique password is by using a password or passphrase generator. These tools automatically create passwords using strong password best practices, so you don’t have to worry about creating them on your own. By ensuring that each of your accounts is secured with a strong password, you make it more difficult for cybercriminals to compromise your accounts.
Continue reading to learn more about password best practices plus tips that will help you create strong passwords for each of your online accounts.
Strong password best practices to follow
When it comes to creating a strong password, there are a few best practices you should follow:
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- Do not use sequential numbers or letters on your keyboard (e.g. 12345, qwerty)
- Do not use common dictionary words that relate to one another
- Never reuse passwords or variations of the same password across multiple accounts
- Do not use any personal information in your passwords (e.g. birthdate, your name, pet name)
- Make your passwords at least 16 characters long
- Avoid writing your passwords down on a piece of paper
- Avoid storing passwords in your phone’s notes app and spreadsheets
4 tips to help you create strong passwords
Here are a few tips to help you create strong, unique passwords for each of your accounts.
1. Create a passphrase
Passphrases are a great way to create strong and memorable passwords. Rather than using a random combination of letters, numbers and symbols, passphrases use a string of words. Since passphrases are created using a string of random words, they are often longer than traditional passwords and are considered to be more secure. While you can create passphrases on your own, you can also use free passphrase generators to create them.
2. Use a password generator
Password generators are similar to passphrase generators, but rather than generating passphrases they generate strong, random passwords. Some of the best password generators enable you to customize the passwords generated based on your specific password requirements. For example, if you need to create a new password for an account but the website requires a 12-character maximum length password, you can adjust the password generator to meet that requirement.
3. Invest in a password manager
A password management solution helps you generate strong passwords while also providing you with a secure place to store them. What makes password managers a great investment is that you’ll no longer need to remember multiple passwords, instead, you use a master password or your biometrics to access everything stored in your password vault. Interested in seeing how a password manager works? Keeper Password Manager offers a free 30-day trial.
4. Use passkeys instead
Having multiple passwords can be a hassle, especially if you’re not using a password manager. Luckily for you, a new passwordless authentication called a passkey exists. When you generate a passkey for an account and go to sign in, you verify your identity the same way you unlock your device so there’s no need for you to remember and enter a password. However, it’s important to know that because passkeys are still new, only a few websites and apps support them as a sign-in method. This means you’ll still need to create strong passwords for some of your online accounts. To see which websites and apps support the use of passkeys check out our Passkeys Directory.
How to securely store strong passwords
Creating strong passwords is just one step towards securing your accounts from unauthorized access. To ensure each of your online accounts stays secure, you’ll also want to make sure that you’re securely storing your strong passwords. The best way to securely store passwords is by using a password manager. Password managers like Keeper® were created with security top of mind and use strong encryption methods to ensure that only you have access to your stored data.
An additional benefit to using a password manager is that they can also generate and store passkeys. By storing your passkeys in a password manager, you’ll be able to log in with them from anywhere, on any device. This makes it a lot easier to manage and log into your online accounts, whether they use a password or passkey.
Keep your passwords and passkeys protected with Keeper
Creating strong passwords shouldn’t be a hassle. With a password manager like Keeper, you no longer have to worry about creating strong passwords on your own because Keeper will help you create them with its built-in password generator. Keeper makes it easy to not only generate your passwords and passkeys but also securely store them so you can log in to your accounts seamlessly.
Curious to see how a password manager increases your online security? Start a free 30-day trial of Keeper today.
