Computer passwords are used to help identify and distinguish users and their access or capabilities on a computer or computer network. Passwords can also help restrict and prevent users from accessing confidential data or accessing programs they should not have access to.

When creating a password, create the password using the below rules, making the password more secure.

* Do not use a password that you have used in the past.
* Try to change the password at least every 3-6 months.
* Create a password that is at least six characters long.
* Create a password with both digits and letters.
* Do not create a password with a family name or family pet.
* Do not create a password that is your phone number, house number, apt number, etc.
* Create a password that is not in a dictionary.
* Create passwords with spaces in them (if allowed).

Top most common passwords

Some examples of some of the most commonly used passwords are listed below. If you're using any of the below passwords we highly recommend you change it immediately.

* no password (simply pressing enter)
* admin
* root
* password or PASSWORD
* god
* letmein
* love
* monkey
* pass
* sex
* 123, 1234, 12345, or 123456
* secret
* money
* asdf
* qwerty
* letmein or passme

As well as these common passwords as mentioned above users also commonly use family and pets names such as charlie, thomas, or fluffy, sports teams or sports players names, phone numbers or parts of a phone number, and social security numbers or parts of a social security number.

Password rules

System administrators

If you run a network of computers or are in charge of computer security, try using the below rules to help secure your network and computers.

* Require that passwords be changed every 3 months (90 days). Almost all network operating systems have features that prompt users to change password once the specified time is up.
* Set a minimum password length. Most network operating systems support the ability to set a minimum password length.
* Setup password history, if available. If the network operating system supports password history enable it to prevent the same password from being used.
* Enable account lockout threshold. This option disables an account after so many failed login attempts. Generally, 3 attempts with a duration of 60 minutes is sufficient.

Below is a listing of good examples of passwords:

* iamthe1
* 2bornot2b
* 1PaSsWoRd1
* My1PASSword
* pa$$word
* epoh

As illustrated in the above examples, you can see passwords and famous quotes with numbers, passwords with numbers or special characters, or words backwards such as epoh = hope.