Today is World Password Day, a day to reflect on online security, inspire better passwords, and raise awareness of emerging technologies. Started in 2013 by Intel Corporation, World Password Day aims to remind folks about the importance of using strong passwords, practicing good habits to protect your password, and introduce password-less solutions like biometrics or passkeys. It is observed on the first Thursday in May of each year.
In recognition of this day, I’d like to share a resource we use in the Tech Department, Security.org, a security focused website with easy to use tools for checking and generating passwords, using VPNs, and how to keep your online accounts secure. They have tons of information on home security, Smart Homes, and DIY projects as well, not just computer systems! It’s a wonderful source that I highly recommend.
Their password checker page allows you to check the strength of your password(s), and has great information on why strong passwords are so important, and what you can do to keep your information safe. Click the link below to try it out!
https://www.security.org/how-secure-is-my-password/
If you find your password is not up to snuff, use their Password Generator tool to create a new, secure password of any length or complexity:
https://www.security.org/password-generator/
Using these tools, you’ll get an idea of how easy or hard it is for a bad actor to crack your passwords. Take this fictional user account as an example:
Elora Danan (remember the baby from the movie Willow?), uses princesselora for her password. It’s not too bad, taking about a year for a supercomputer or botnet to crack using brute-force techniques (attempting to login over and over again until it finds the right combination of characters). Of course, if they knew about her royal status they might be able to guess her password.
By making two simple changes, changing the “o” to a zero, and capitalizing the first letter, Elora’s password becomes way more secure, and would take 100,000 years to crack with modern technology. Big difference! If she were to only use the word, “princess,” for a password, it would be discovered instantly. Try it out for yourself and see!
Keep these helpful tips in mind when creating a password to keep it secure and easy to remember:
- Longer passwords are exponentially more difficult to crack for each character added, even if using dictionary words. Try creating memorable passwords that are a few characters longer than the minimum, with a single number or special character to satisfy any special character requirements.
- Do not use personal information that can be easily discovered as part of your password. Names of family members, pets, or even birthdays and anniversaries can be discovered by others on social media or through other means. Don’t use them.
- Use a Password Manager. PCMag wrote an article ranking the best of 2025, here: https://www.pcmag.com/picks/the-best-password-managers (Protip: Google Chrome OS and browser have a built-in password manager).
Password Manager Staff Picks:
- Keeper, recommended by Alex Pearson
- Dashlane, recommended by Oscar Sosa
- Passable for iPhone, recommended by Vicki Schwoebel
- BitWarden, recommended by the author for enterprise-level security
- NordPass, best for bundled services
- Pass, a free option for very tech-savvy users
For more tips and tools, please read this handy guide to Digital Security in 2025: A 2025 Guide to Digital Security and Cybersecurity
I hope you find this information helpful. If you have any questions or concerns about your FCS accounts, please reach out to the Tech Department (FCIT) through our Help Desk, or by sending an email to: [email protected].
Thanks for the helpful reminder!