For over twenty years now, users are advised to follow the Password recommendations published by National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). In 2003, former NIST technology manager Bill Burr wrote down a set of principles to safeguard oneself from being hacked. His list consisted of two major rules: First, to change the password regularly. Second, to choose a password that is a combination of upper/lower case letters, numbers, and symbols.
According to a report by Tech Radar, this practice is actually what makes one more likely to get hacked.
Everything you need to know
The rules were jotted down in 2003 where there was no way for Bill to carry out experiments. He thought that this would be one of the best ways that could make it difficult to guess a password. In an interview with Wall Street Journal, Burr admits that it was his biggest mistake ever. “It frustrates everybody,” he told CBS News and accepted that it gets difficult to remember passwords. Different accounts have different passwords fed in and thus, it often leads users to forget them.
Since these rules were written almost 14 years back, they have become outdated. There are better security solutions one can opt for now. The list of solutions includes making use of a good password manager and choosing shorter passwords.
Safe and secure password by LastPass
In fact, even NIST updated its guidelines in 2016. The latest rules are more user-friendly and secure. Users aren’t forced to choose arbitrary passwords. Their passwords can be 64 characters long, as the length of the password doesn’t gauge its strength anymore. One can make use of space or any such printable characters to create a strong password. Senior Director at LastPass, Steve Schultz even told Tech Radar that they have been educating their customers to follow these guidelines for years now.
Their password management tools generate unique passwords and even remembers them for their users. One of the main reasons why LastPass is so popular is because it is reliable. The information shared with the platform remains a hundred per cent confidential.
The experts at LastPass advise users to choose a long passphrase than a complicated combination of letters and characters. It not only makes it easier for users to recollect but also is strong enough and prevents hackers from guessing it. This might help in creating a safer cyber world.