Happy World Password Day. You might think you're sorted...but don't scroll past yet.
A password that felt bulletproof in 2020 might be crackable in seconds today. Cheap cloud computing, AI-powered tools, and billions of leaked credentials have changed the game, which means you might need to change your habits.
Here's what the experts recommend in 2026:
- Make it long. 16 characters minimum, mixing upper, lowercase, numbers, and symbols. No consecutive anything.
- One password per account. Always. No exceptions.
- Use a password manager. Unless you're Rain Man you can't memorize dozens of secure passwords. Let the tool do it.
- Only change passwords when compromised. Rotating passwords on a schedule actually makes them weaker over time. Change when breached, not before.
- Consider a VPN. Strong passwords keep people out of your accounts, while a VPN keeps your activity and IP address private on public networks.