One of the problems with passwords is that users forget them. In order to remember them, people use simple things like their dog’s name, their birth date, or the name of the current month-anything that will give them a clue to remember what their password is.
For the curious hacker (黑客) who has gained access to your online account, this is the same as locking your door and leaving the key under the doormat (门垫).
To create a safe password that is easy to remember, follow these simple steps:
● You should never use personal information as part of your password. It is very easy for someone to guess things like your last name, pet’s name, child’s birth date and other similar details.
● There are tools available to help attackers guess your password. With today’s computing power, it doesn’t take long to try every word in the dictionary and find your password, so it is best if you do not use real words for your password.
● You can make a password much safer by mixing different types of characters. Use some uppercase letters (大写字母) along with lowercase letters (小写字母), numbers and even special characters such as “&” or “%”.
● Rather than trying to remember a password that is created using various character types and is not a word from the dictionary, you can use a “passphrase”. Think of a sentence or a line from a song or poem that you like and create a password using the first letter from each word.
For example, rather than just having a password like “yr $ 1 Hes”, you could take a sentence such as “I like to read the About. Com Internet network security website” and convert it to a password like “il2rtA! nsws” by using the number “2” for the word “to” and using an exclamation point (感叹号) in place of the “I” for “Internet”. You can use a variety of character types and create a safe password that is hard to figure out, but much easier for you to remember.
● You should use a different username and password for each login you’re trying to protect. That way, if someone figures out one of your passwords, the others are still safe. Another approach, which is less safe, but provides a fair balance between security and convenience, is to use one username and password for sites and applications that don’t need the extra security, but use unique usernames and more safe passwords on sites that require more security, such as your bank’s website.
【小题1】How is a password made up of one’s dog’s name or birthdate?

A．It is safe and easy to remember.

B．It can get hacked easily by attackers.

C．It suits those who have a poor memory.

D．It is the most commonly used type of password.

【小题2】According to the article, what is a passphrase made up of?

A．Different character types.

B．A long dictionary word.

C．The title of a song or a poem.

D．The first letter from each word of a sentence.

【小题3】Which of these passwords might be the safest according to the article?

A．jessica208.	B．yr $ 1 Hes.
C．HERO&37.	D．il2rtA!nsws.

【小题4】What’s the article mainly about?

A．How to make your passwords safer.

B．How hackers get access to computers.

C．How to protect your private information online.

D．Typical problems with passwords.