What has Phil Collins got to do with cybersecurity?

Following on from yesterday’s tip about password best practice, another recommendation relates to password length and complexity.

We’ve all been told to use passwords that contain a mix of upper case and lower case, numbers and special characters.

But in reality, such complex passwords are difficult for humans to remember but easy for the cyber criminals’ automated password checking scripts to crack.

It’s not $ust8inab!e.

So what?

Thankfully, the latest guidance suggests we stop worrying about password complexity and focus on password length.

Length matters.

A long password – e.g. a lyric from a memorable song – is easier for a human to remember but more difficult for a cyber criminal to crack*.

And Phil Collins has many memorable lyrics – “Oh, think twice. ‘Cause it’s another day for you and me in paradise” being just one.

PS You can thank me later for planting this song in your head for the rest of the day. But if you want to listen to the rest of the tune, I have you covered: https://youtu.be/Qt2mbGP6vFI

* PPS If you want to read more about how long it takes a cyber criminal to figure out a password, find out here: https://www.komando.com/security-privacy/check-your-password-strength/783192/