Password Hints

Strong locks and burglar alarms help keep intruders out of your place of business. Strong computer passwords help keep intruders from knowing your business. Both are extremely important. In some cases businesses invest in state-of-the-art burglar systems for their physical space but only use passwords a child could crack to protect sensitive data.      
      
Computer crooks have software tools that help them come up with simple passwords in mere minutes. Other’s may rely on employees to divulge passwords.

Basic Steps You Can Take

Educate your staff about the importance of passwords. They should regard their password the same way they would an office key, meaning: Don't leave it lying around and don't share it. They also need to know what makes a weak password. Chances are at least a few of them will recognize the error of their ways in the following      
You've got a weak, easy-to-guess password if you use:      

• Your real name, username or company name
• A common word, which makes you vulnerable to "dictionary attacks"
• Common passwords, such as "password," "letmein" or "1,2,3,4"
• Commonly known letter substitutions, such as replacing 'i' with '!' or 's' with '$' or 'o' with '0' - if it makes sense to you, it will to a password cracker
• A password that someone else knows