In case you are not familiar with it, world password day (#passwordday) is a thing! Going back to 2013, it's celebrated on the 1st Thursday of May, and this year it's May 6th.

Same as the #worldbackupday in March, password day is here to help us lift the awareness and importance of strong passwords. In today's world, when there is almost not a single institution, service, or platform that is not running in some digital form, it is extremely important to be on top of your passwords and pins.

With the introduction of biometric security mechanisms on our daily devices, security regarding data on those same devices has jumped exponentially but still, we need to be careful using those same services and content on devices that are only protected by simple access using a password and in some cases, two-factor authentification.

Weak password problem

We have all been there. Using a simple, short password that is easy to remember, and then use it on all of your services and apps. That's just wrong and plain unsafe.

Example of weak and easily guessed passwords

Pa$$w0rd
12345!"#
09876...
admin

Using passwords has been a protection mechanism for a long time but using complex passwords is still one of the best ways to protect your data and accounts. The only problem is that remembering a complex and long password is not that easy, and that is the reason why most people are vulnerable on that specific layer.

Using a weak password might not even be an option with some platforms and services nowadays and you might be forced to use a password that is complex enough by covering various criteria. Also, if you have a weak password but have the option to use 2FA (two-factor authentification), use it.

DON'T USE SIMPLE PASSWORDS FOR EVERYTHING!

Password managers to the rescue

One way to combat this common password problem is using a password manager. I have no clue what any of my passwords are because they are too complex to remember and I simply choose not to know them.

Instead, I use the Bitwarden password manager that I have self-hosted on my end, also to make things even better, it includes 2FA for any service that you want to use it with. On top of this, you can protect BW itself with 2FA, so you are all good.

With so many password managers out there, most of them are commercial (including BW if you don't want to self-host), and unable to be self-hosted, it might be a hard choice to choose one, but you will not go wrong with BW.

Named as top password manager of 2021, just tells you how great this platform is.

With any password manager you can make a very complex password that it would be impossible to figure out, or remember, and yet it will be accessible on any device that you want to use it with.

128 char long complex password. Try and crack that.

tGs@7wzVhSQFbbWFS2a84XA5hQV79247ASs9pdhYvE*xA$Jm!ZaUSV&haaDZgXm99ke*xQ6fbayeYcM8U8eLowd4Y!Y6Gbriw7k4B3Xgj8gj#Qed8rG5c2wU5A#kt8u8

Today investing in a great password manager solution is key, and it will take the burden of remembering all those passwords off your shoulders. So look into one and change your password way of thinking, today.

Same as with backups, once the problem hits you, you will be thankful for your backup strategy. The same applies to passwords. Even if some service that you use gets hacked or exploited, you can just quickly change your password with a new random one while being sure that the same password was not used on any of your other services.

BW will also provide you with the tools to test the complexity of your passwords and make sure that you are not using the same one on more than one service. Not something you can do or want to do with your busy life right?

Conclusion

Again, be sure to check your passwords, make sure they are complex, unique, and long. Do not use the same password on multiple sites/services and make sure to use 2FA. All this can be covered with a password manager, so try and look into one that works on all the devices that you need, and your life will be much easier, and safe.