CHAPTER 19. FIRST WEBSITE 201
19.2.1 Common Mistakes
There are two common mistakes that people make with their passwords.
First, they pick something easy. Hackers actually have lists of passwords
that people have used in the past, and some of them are pretty common.
Like the word password itself. Or the digits 123456. You do not want
anything that is on one of those lists. (Everything that is short is on those
lists.)
Second, they use the same password in a lot of places. This is not so bad if
those are not places you care about, but important places deserve their own
password.
Many places enforce password policies that steer people away from picking
something easy, but not from reusing the same password.
19.2.2 Password Advice
How long should a password be?
Passwords for important things should be 12 characters or longer. This
includes email and online banking.
What characters should I use?
Using a variety of characters (letters, digits, punctuation) is helpful, but
length is more important. Many password systems require the variety.
How often should I change my password?
You should change your password if you think it has been discovered. Oth-
erwise it is probably safe to leave it alone for several years.
What About Password Managers?
Add-on password managers, like LastPass, are wonderful. Built-in password
managers are helpful but generally not as secure.
19.3 Your Domain Name
Every website needs a domain name. In the early days, people could refer
to websites by number (IP address), which may work, but which is a bit of a
pain, and also makes you look unprofessional. In today’s Internet, a domain