Password Security Basics: Essential Tips for Safer Accounts

Password security refers to the practices used to protect passwords and the accounts they control.

Creating a strong password is only one part of account security. How passwords are stored, reused, shared and protected after they are created also matters.

One of the most important password security practices is using a different password for each important account.

Reusing a password across multiple services creates a connection between those accounts. If one password is exposed, the same credential may be attempted against other services.

Unique passwords reduce the number of accounts that could be affected by the compromise of a single credential.

Passwords should be sufficiently long and difficult to predict. Avoid building important passwords from names, birthdays, familiar phrases or other information associated with you.

Random password generation can help avoid predictable patterns because the characters are selected automatically rather than chosen based on personal information.

If you need a random password, you can use the [MartTools Password Generator](/tools/password-gen) to create one from configurable character types and a selected length.

Treat passwords as private account credentials and avoid sharing them with other people unnecessarily.

Be cautious of messages, emails or websites asking you to provide your password. A legitimate service should provide appropriate account-management methods rather than requiring you to disclose your password to another person.

Where you store a password matters almost as much as how you create it.

Avoid keeping important passwords in publicly accessible documents, unprotected files or places where other people can easily view them.

A reputable password manager can provide a dedicated way to store and retrieve unique passwords without requiring you to memorize every credential.

A password manager can store passwords for different accounts and help you use unique credentials without memorizing each one.

Password managers are particularly useful when accounts use long random passwords that would be difficult to remember manually.

Using a password manager can also make it easier to replace reused passwords with unique credentials across your accounts.

Multi-factor authentication adds another verification step in addition to the password.

When available, enabling multi-factor authentication can provide an additional layer of protection if a password is compromised.

The exact authentication methods available depend on the service. Check the account's security settings to see which options it supports.

A strong password cannot protect an account if you voluntarily provide the password to a fraudulent website or person.

Phishing attempts can use emails, messages or websites designed to look like legitimate services. Before entering a password, check that you are using the genuine website or application.

Be particularly cautious when a message creates urgency or asks you to sign in through an unexpected link.

When signing in, make sure the website or application is the service you intended to use.

Avoid entering passwords into unfamiliar websites simply because they resemble a service you use. If you receive an unexpected sign-in request, navigate to the service directly rather than relying on an unfamiliar link.

Avoid using information that someone could associate with you when creating important passwords.

Names, birthdays, phone numbers, locations, usernames and other familiar details can create predictable patterns.

Randomly generated passwords avoid the need to use personal information when creating a credential.

Password security also depends on the devices and software used to access your accounts.

Keep your operating system, browser and applications updated, use device security features where available and avoid entering passwords on devices you do not trust.

On shared computers, be especially careful about saving passwords or leaving accounts signed in.

If you learn that an account or service has experienced a credential exposure, change the affected password as soon as practical.

If the same password was used elsewhere, change those accounts as well and replace the reused credential with unique passwords.

Do not continue using a password simply because the account has not shown any obvious signs of unauthorized access.

Password changes are particularly important when you believe a password has been exposed, shared accidentally or used on a compromised service.

Instead of repeatedly changing a password without a specific reason, focus on using unique credentials, protecting them properly and responding promptly when there is evidence of compromise.

Changing one small part of an old password does not necessarily create a meaningfully different credential.

Patterns such as adding a year, incrementing a number or replacing a familiar word with a predictable symbol can make passwords easier to anticipate.

When you need a new password, generating a completely new random credential is preferable to repeatedly modifying an old one.

Account recovery methods are an important part of account security because they can be used to regain access when a password is forgotten or compromised.

Review the recovery email address, phone number or other recovery methods associated with important accounts and make sure they are current and protected.

Follow the security options provided by the service rather than creating informal recovery methods that could expose your credentials.

A practical password security routine does not have to be complicated.

Use unique passwords for important accounts, generate random passwords when appropriate, store them securely, enable multi-factor authentication where available and remain cautious about unexpected login requests.

Review important accounts periodically and respond promptly if you learn that a password may have been exposed.

Use a unique password for every important account.

Make passwords sufficiently long and difficult to predict.

Avoid personal information and predictable password patterns.

Store passwords securely, preferably with a reputable password manager.

Do not share passwords unnecessarily.

Enable multi-factor authentication when the service supports it.

Watch for phishing attempts and verify websites before entering credentials.

Change passwords when there is evidence that they may have been compromised.

Good password security is about more than creating a complicated password. Strong account protection comes from combining unique credentials with secure storage, careful sign-in habits and additional security features.

A password generator can help create random credentials, while a password manager can make unique passwords easier to manage.

For more information about creating passwords, see the [Password Generator Guide](/blog/password-generator-guide) and [How to Create a Strong Password](/blog/how-to-create-a-strong-password).