Dealing with passwords .. Advice from German experts

The German "Hasso Plattner" Institute indicated that many users rely on easy and simple passwords to secure their electronic accounts, such as the common password
(123456), because it is difficult to remember secure passwords.

For her part, noted Jennifer Kaiser, a digital technology expert at the Center for Consumer Protection in the state of Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany; that a user who relies on such simple codes must expect to penetrate his electronic accounts at any time.

Hackers usually steal email addresses from data leak attacks, so they already have half of the login data for user accounts.

Depending on computer programs, the hackers try all possible combinations to hack the password, and the German expert added, "Computer programs initially try common password sequences, as hackers know that many users simply replace the letter (S) in words with the sign ($) ".

Dictionaries terms
Professor Christophe Menel, director of the Hasso Plattner Institute, added that research into dictionary terms is part of the pirate's usual work.

Computers are currently searching dictionaries very quickly, and here the risk of relying on dictionary terms as passwords for electronic accounts increases. Even if special words and numbers are added to these words, they remain unsafe.

With the spread of social networks, it has become easy for pirates to learn information about their favorite band, wedding day, or children's names, so users should avoid passwords, which bear personal signs.

Professor Christoph Menel indicated that the process of data theft becomes more difficult if the programs have to try individual combinations of letters and numbers, and the German expert added, "If the password includes uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers and special signs, then the programs take a longer time to test all of these signs."

At least 8 marks
In turn, the Federal Office for Information Technology Security recommends that passwords include at least eight symbols, and the more symbols, the better. Usually, different companies refer to the strength of the password when creating the electronic account through colored tags, and thus the user knows the strength of the specified password.

Professor Christoph Menel advises relying on long and encrypted passwords, which can be created by using the first letters of a long sentence with adding numbers, letters and special signs to it, and the German Professor warned against using the same password for more than one service or account on the web, given that the hackers will be able Immediately access all user accounts if this word is compromised.

Password management software
To overcome this problem, the user can rely on password management software, such as the open source Keepass program, which is also available as a mobile app.

IT expert Jennifer Kaiser explained how password management software works like a box, in which all access data is stored for various web services and accounts. Such programs randomly generate passwords, after which the user must remember one program's password, and the master password must be particularly safe.

Check for data theft
Internet users should verify their data theft by looking at the various databases, in addition to the need to activate the two-factor authentication function in the services, which provides such functionality.

The user can verify his data theft by relying on the Hasso Plattner Institute's Identity Leak Checker database or via the website Haveibeenpwned.com.

Databases check whether the e-mail address appears in the leaked data listings on the Internet, and if this is the case, the user must change accounts, which depend on the leaked e-mail address.