Using short, simple passwords or the same password for all of your online accounts puts you at a higher risk of a security breach or identity theft. To increase your protection, we suggest using a combination of letters, numbers and symbols.

Some sites have their own specific character requirements. Here are some tips to help you create a password that's less likely to be cracked.

• Your e-mail password should be unique
  If someone gains access to your email, they may get access to everything
• Don't use common passwords
  Check out the list below of common passwords to avoid
• Use complex passwords
  It should include different casing, numbers, and special characters

Below is a list of the most common passwords. You will want to avoid these passwords.

• 123456
• 123456789
• qwerty
• 12345678
• 111111
• 1234567890
• 1234567
• password
• 123123
• 987654321
• qwertyuiop
• mynoob
• 123321
• 666666
• 18atcskd2w
• 7777777
• 1q2w3e4r
• 654321
• 555555
• 3rjs1la7qe
• google
• 1q2w3e4r5t
• 123qwe
• zxcvbnm
• 1q2w3e

• Use at least one uppercase letter
• Use at least one lowercase letter
• Use a number
• Use a symbol from this set: ! @ $ % %5E & * ( ) - _ = + [ ] ; : ' " , < .> / ?
• Use at least six characters
• Don't use repeating characters
• Don't use spaces

• Don't use a common, dictionary word—not even spelled backwards
• Don't use your name, a relative's name, a close friend's name, or a pet's name
• Don't use personal numbers, including your driver's license, license plate, social security, phone number, or birthday
• Do change your passwords monthly; if you need to write them down, put them in a safe place and don't include the URL
• Do use a password that's at least 8 characters long

Many people use the same password for all of their accounts, which can be a problem. If your e-mail gets hacked, the criminal may also gain access to your bank account if it uses the same password. Creating a personal password algorithm is a great way to have different passwords for different sites that will be easy to remember. An algorithm is a set of rules that can be applied the same way to different sites, and will result in a different password for each. For example, your algorithm could start with your dog's name using a special character (rex=r#x). Then, you could add the second and third letters of the website name in capital letters, and your favorite number (13). If you were creating a password for Paypal using this algorithm, your password would be r#xAY13. Using the same set of rules, your password for Google would be r#xOO13.

Using a personal algorithm lets you create strong passwords without having to memorize a lot of different complicated passwords. Once you have your personal algorithm, you can use it to remember what your passwords are for different sites and accounts.

Two-step verification adds an additional layer of security to your online accounts by requiring you to enter a special code that is typically sent to you by email or text message, which expires after a short period of time. This method is very effective (especially when using text-messages), because it even if a hacker has access to your password they still cannot get into your account unless they have access to that code as well.

In the age of social media, security questions are become less and less effective. Asking questions like "your mother's maiden name" or "your pet's name" are very easy for an attacker to find, when most people post that information on their social media profiles. An effective method of securing your security questions is to use answers for someone close to you. An example would be to answer the questions as if they were being asked to your mother.

Using this method allows you to enter answers that you can easily remember, but also makes them more difficult for an attacker to find.

Some examples:
When asked "your mother's maden name", enter your grand mother's maiden name
When asked "your place of birth" enter your mother or father's place of birth