The security of a password is directly related to how difficult it is for an attacker to guess it.  One common technique is for an attacker to try every word in a dictionary (possibly including names and dates) until one succeeds.  Another technique is to try every possible password, starting with the shortest ones and continuing on to increasingly complex ones, hoping to discover a password with minimal work.

Here are some techniques for selecting a secure password.

• It should be as long as possible - at least 8 characters total.
• It should include upper case letters, lower case letters, numbers, as well as special symbols -- such as !@#$%^&*()[]\;',./{}|:"<>?
• Never write down your password, in case someone finds the paper it is written on.
• Never give your password to anyone, especially if someone phones you and says they need your password for any reason.  There is no valid reason anyone would ever need your pasword.

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