What is a Password? – Types of Passwords

A password is a secret combination of characters (letters, numbers, and/or symbols) that is used to authenticate and gain access to a system, device, application, or online account. It acts as a security measure to verify the identity of the user and protect sensitive information from unauthorized access.

Passwords are typically created by the user and should be kept confidential to ensure the security of personal data. The abbreviation of the password is PW or PWD. A password is a set of secret codes, numbers, or letters that we give to our device to secure it.

It is the best method for protecting your online account. You can also use a picture, or a phrase instead of just the alphabet and numbers. For best security, you must remember to use a strong password.

Passwords vary in their lengths such as if the password is given in numbers it may be from 0 to 9 and if words or given it may be from A to Z. The password may also be a 4_digit password, 6_digut password or it may be a 4_16 digit passcode.

Benefits of passwords                                                            

• Password is very useful to secure our data, device, or accounts.
• Passwords save our data from hackers.
• Passwords save the device from malicious software.
• Password is the first line of defense for our computers.
• The stronger the password of our device is, the more our device is secure from hacking.

Example

As we know passwords secure our devices from hacking. In banks or offices if the devices are not provided with passwords it is very easy for hackers to steal the data which will be very dangerous for them. In this way, a lot of money can be hacked with the help of hacking but if our device has a strong password there will be less chance of hacking.

7 types of passwords

There are a lot of types of Password which are given as:

1. Simple password

The type of password in which only words or numbers are used must be lowercase. It is easy to remember.  E.g. “computer” “7879”.

2. Pin code

Pin code is the type of simple password in which only numbers are given and it is also very easy to remember.

3. Complex password

The type of password in which we also use upper case letters and numbers. It is difficult for users to remember. E.g. “@ali#789”.

4. Mixed password

It is the type of complex password in which numbers and letters of upper and lower case both are given.

5. Pattern password

This password is available in Android phones in which dots are given in the 3×3 grid which makes a pattern. The users have to join these dots to give the password to the phone and as a result, the phone gets unlocked.

6. Fingerprint

This is the type of password in which letters or words are not used. It only requires the tip of our finger by which our device is unlocked. In this password prints of our fingers are used.

7. Face lock

In a face lock password, our device is unlocked when we bring our phone in front of our faces. The camera detects us and simultaneously our phone is unlocked.

Tips to create a strong password:

There are some tips to create a strong password

Choose a unique password

You don’t have to choose a password that contains only letters and numbers. There are some websites where you can even choose a phrase to create a password. So, choose a unique password.

Avoid using dictionary words

Some of the people who don’t know anything about password creation may try to use some of the commonly used words like ‘love’, ‘password’, ‘login’ etc. It is better to avoid using the words that are found in a dictionary.

Use a combination of upper and lower case letters

Most people think that only lowercase letters are required for a password. But it is not the right way. It is always better to use upper and lower case letters while creating a password. It makes it more difficult to guess the password.

Avoid using the common numbers

Common numbers like 1, 2, 3, 4, etc. can be easily guessed by others. But if you want to make a strong password then it is always better to avoid using standard numbers.

This is all about passwords and their types. For more queries, you can ask in the comment section.