“Guess my Password Game” was one of the first blog posts I wrote on Kids Privacy. I just finished reading an article about the top 10 passwords and discovered my kid had #4. Following the game, we had a little discussion on how setting a strong password for every account and on their phone is one of the best ways to keep information safe and secure. I think of it as teaching kids how to lock the front door. Passwords are the same. This is a kid’s first line defense to keep out identity thieves as well as mischievous friends.
Below are a few more helpful hints on passwords. And, if you want to play the password game, I have included the list of top 10 passwords for 2014.
4 Passwords Tips
- Chunk it
I am taking a cybersecurity class online. Before taking this class, I thought my inability to memorize passwords had to do with my advancing age as well as far too many things to remember. Turns out it is not. The way our short-term memory is designed, we can generally only remember 3 – 4 pieces of information. This goes for kids as well as adults. So how does one set a strong password of 8 or more characters? Chunk it. Chunking is organizing a long password into meaningful pieces. An example would be using a date or initials divided by symbols such as AP&25*CL&18. This may look like a random series of letters, numbers and symbols but it is actually 4 pieces of memorable information.
- Not one password to rule them all
I see kids using the same usernames across Twitter, Instagram, Vine and Tumblr. Yes, it makes it easy for their friends and classmates to find their accounts but it also ties together a lot of information. If they are using one super password, they are also making it a lot easier for friends or former friends to log in as them. Kids should not share passwords, but some do. By having only one password, they may have giving their bff access to all their social networks. Kids should keep their apps protected by using different passwords for every account. Periodically, remind your kid to change their password. Kids should not have the same password from 6th grade to senior year.
- Answering incorrect is correct
This is one time where giving the wrong answer is right. Someone may try to break into an account by attempting to reset the password. Often resetting requires answering a security question. Unfortunately, kids and adults frequently have the answers to many security questions, such as “name of your dog”, on their Facebook, Instagram, Twitter or other networks. A good rule is to make the answer to the security question the incorrect answer. For example, kids can make the answer the opposite such as the name of their goldfish or a completely random word. The answer does not have to be right just something they will remember.
- Don’t forget the Phone
When it comes to mobile devices, many of us leave our apps open all the time. There are several reasons for this: 1) It is a pain to log off and log in all the time and 2) it is usually near impossible to find a log out or sign off option on many apps. The only protection against someone picking up a kid’s phone and playing with all their apps is to set a password on the device. Even if it just a 4 digit pin code, kids can still make it difficult to guess their code by choosing 4 different numbers not in numerical order. Without a password, anyone who picks up their mobile phone or tablet can open up their Instagram or Twitter and pretend to be them.
For more Password Tips:
What are some good rules for screen names and passwords? by CommonSense Media
Password Safety & Security by iKeepSafe
Advice about Passwords by Kids & Media
This guest blog post is a part of our cyberSAFE blog series focusing on back-to-school security, privacy and identity topics. It comes from Anne Livingston, the founder of 