Do You Think You Are an Expert in Password Security? Take This Quiz to Find Out

Biometric authentication engineers believe that very soon we will live in a passwordless world. This will be the world in which we will not need to remember a single combination of digits, letters, and symbols because we will be able to look at a camera lens, touch a button with our unique fingerprint, wave our hand in a unique way, or simply talk to identify ourselves. Although new biometric technologies keep emerging, passwords are still a big part of our digital lives today. We simply cannot escape them. Until biometric authentication tools are perfected, passwords are the next best thing, and that is why we must focus on making them as strong as they can be. When it comes to the weak password vs. strong password debate, there appear to be some disagreements in regards to what actually makes an impenetrable password.

To this day, there are a lot of people who still think that it is enough to use a random word or an easy-to-remember combination of letters, numbers, and symbols to create a good enough password. Well, good enough is not something that will ensure your virtual security. Private data that passwords lock up is highly valued these days, and hackers in even the most remote corners of this world are trying to get it. What that means is that they are using all tricks to crack passwords and perform data breaches. Billions of records are stolen every year, and the number of breaches just continues to grow. Needless to say, password security has never been as important as it is today. Unfortunately, although most of us use passwords every single day, not all of us understand how to ensure complete password security. For one, 123456 continues to be the most popular password today. Considering how easy it is to increase password security, it is a real shame.

Although password security has never been threatened as much as it is threatened today, it also has never been this easy to ensure that passwords are strong, safe, and easily-accessible. You no longer need to risk having your passwords exposed because you wrote them on a piece of paper because you can employ trustworthy password managers instead. Cyclonis Password Manager is a free tool that you could try out, and it can be used to check the strength of existing passwords, generate new passwords, as well as store them for easy-access. You can choose cloud storage or your computer to save the passwords on, and because they are encrypted, you do not need to fear that they would be breached. As long as your master password is strong, you will be safe. Of course, you should not let your guard down at any point when it comes to password security. A single vulnerability is enough for cybercriminals to do some real damage.

Some people online are uneducated about password security, and they simply do not know the important differences between weak passwords vs. strong passwords. Then there are people who think that they are smart, but the information they have might be outdated. Needless to say, the rules are different today than they were, let’s say, ten, five or maybe even just one year ago. Also, as we discussed earlier, there are some disagreements when it comes to virtual security. Some believe that changing passwords periodically is a good idea, but that is no longer the general consensus. While changing passwords is crucial when a data breach is reported, you do not want to make random changes that could make your passwords weaker. On the other hand, one study revealed that 30% of users stick to the same combinations, and that is not a good idea either.

If you believe that you are an expert in password security and that you know the differences between weak passwords vs. strong passwords, you will have no trouble with the questions in the quiz below. In fact, if you have read this article carefully, you should know the answers to the following questions, even if you lacked knowledge beforehand. Hopefully, this will shed light on the common password security myths that people continue to believe, and you will be able to adjust your own passwords to ensure that they stand strong against cybercriminals. Of course, do not forget about phishing scams. Even if your passwords are extremely strong, they will not be strong enough if you carelessly disclose them to schemers yourself. Also, remember that data breaches are, unfortunately, common these days, and if you want to be safe, you need to follow the news and respond to them quickly.

10 questions to test your password security knowledge

1. Which password is the strongest one?
A. 123456
B. qwerty1
C. pa$$w0rd777
D. y)4fZL;2pr?]Zr-X

2. Which is the safest method of storing passwords?
A. Writing them down on a piece of paper.
B. Pasting them into a document/note on your computer/phone.
C. Using a password manager.
D. Saving them on your web browser.

3. What elements should be included in a strong password?
A. Letters.
B. Numbers.
C. Letters, numbers, and special symbols.
D. Letters and numbers.

4. How often should you change your password?
A. According to the situation.
B. Once a week.
C. Once a month.
D. Once a year.

5. What personal data can you include in a password?
A. Names (your name, family name, pet’s name, etc.).
B. Identifying locations (home address, city, country, etc.).
C. Dates (birth date, graduation date, etc.).
D. None of the above.

6. How many times can you reuse the same password?
A. 2
B. 13
C. You cannot reuse the same password.
D. As many times as you like.

7. How long is a secure password?
A. 8 characters.
B. 15 characters.
C. 32 characters.
D. As long as possible (within reason).

8. How many people can you share your password with?
A. 10
B. 0
C. 3
D. 2

9. How many records were breached between January and June of 2019?
A. 1.3 Million
B. 4.1 Billion
C. 952 Thousand
D. 27 Million

10. Who has to protect your passwords?
A. The service provider.
B. Your password manager provider.
C. You.
D. All of the above.

Answers: 1-D. 2-C. 3-C. 4-A. 5-D. 6-C. 7-D. 8-B. 9-B. 10-D.