5 steps to create your own passphrase, not a password.
Your LinkedIn account belongs to you. No one else. You may have social media policies if you’re a lawyer or financial planner; however, protecting your intangible and valuable assets of your network is a good thing to do.
Passphrases are usually longer than the traditional password and add an additional layer of safety since they cannot be easily guessed by an intruder. Not just for LinkedIn, but a good passphrase can enhance the safety of all your online accounts: bank, credit card – you get the picture.
LinkedIn doesn’t pester you for an updated password every three months (thankfully) — here’s how to change your old password into a passphrase.
1. A passphrase needs to be more than 4 words long, preferably at least six, to be as strong as a totally random password.
Example: The road to success is always under construction.
2. The words should not be short. Short words can be cracked very efficiently by experienced hackers.
3. Character substitutions and / or misspellings considerably strengthen the passphrase (which is not possible with a password). You can also include some spaces, and/or exclude others, to increase the level of strength.
Example: Gr8t ide@! to remember Mum’s bday
4. The sentence need not be intelligible. In fact, it is harder to crack a passphrase if it is not.
5. Using a combination of upper and lower case letters, and including numbers and symbols, is absolutely essential.
Example: Relativity & Einstein is E = mc2
Have you created shortcuts for your own passphrases? Let us know!
