Hello Red Kite Friends,

Did you know the most often used Internet password is 'password?' And the second most often used is 'password1?'

Don't set yourself up for a minor (or major) disaster by picking a simple password, or one that has any identifiable words. A hacker using a dictionary attack method - one that systematically tries every word in the dictionary - can easily go through 1,000,000 word variations in a day. Make it harder for them to succeed.

Ideally, you should be using a different password for every site you visit that requires one. But that's seldom the case; a study by web security firm Sophos showed that over 80% of web respondents use the same password for many sites - and a third of them use the same password for every site.

It's hard to keep track of so many passwords, that's a fact. There are programs that can help, like Roboform and PasswordSafe. Even writing them down on a slip of paper in your desk is okay - your desk is safer from hackers than your computer.

But if you're like the majority and use only one or a few passwords, better make them very strong. The best passwords have a combination of upper and lowercase letters, numbers, and punctuation in random order. Something like a ^bU5x69 is definitely a lot better than 'password.' If you're using an abbreviation password try changing all e's to 3's and using 1's for L's. Great online resources to help you generate strong, safe passwords: Good Password, PC Tools Random Password Generator.

Another method that might be easier to remember are keyboard patterns. For example, create a V pattern by clicking the keys in diagonal order from 2 to x and then, with the shift key pressed, from x to 5. Your password would be: 2wsxXDR%

The next time you pay a first visit to a site and it asks you for a password, think before you type. And if you are using one or a handful of passwords all over the Internet, think about changing them every so often. A few minutes of extra work now could save you from trouble in the future.

More Bandwidth for Our Hosting Clients

NOCO Hosting, Red Kite's hosting company, has just significantly increased monthly bandwidth allowances for all hosting plans. If you're a NOCO client, you now have a lot more capability for video and audio file usage on your website. If you're interested in learning more about NOCO's hosting plans, visit the site.

If you have any questions about anything in this newsletter, don't hesitate to contact Red Kite.