I received an email today asking if I would be interested in selling my domain name. Received another email today from my web host advising of a misspelt password (for same domain). Someone has gone to my host, tried my christian name as password, but failed (I have trace code, but dont know how to use it) . Can you suggest any additional security I can use to protect myself??

Just make sure your password isn't a dictionary word.

Originally posted by bss
Received another email today from my web host advising of a misspelt password (for same domain). Someone has gone to my host, tried my christian name as password, but failed ...
Do you mean your password is actually a variation of your Christian name? My advice to you is change your password to something that is TOTALLY NOT RELATED to ANYTHING of you. Any password that is in the slightest way associated with your LIFE could well be guessed.

A good example will be: say you love potato but hate fish; you password should NOT be anything like q0Tat2 (a variation of potato) or 5Ushy (from sushi). Use e.g. t0Maid2 instead because you either hate or love tomato so NOONE, NOT even your wife could guess it!

Originally posted by ubergeek22
Just make sure your password isn't a dictionary word.
Those who use a dictionary deserve to be hacked. The basic for a password is that it MUST contain at least 1 number and an upper case; and make it at least 7 characters long if allowed.

Well, antidisestablishmentarianism is a dictionary word, I think I'd let that one slide! ;) :D

[Unless they use a brute force attack... dang)

Thanks ubergeek22. Do you think you should get out more?

lol
cmon thats not nice
hes trying to help :p

Originally posted by ubergeek22
Well, antidisestablishmentarianism is a dictionary word, I think I'd let that one slide! ;) :D

[Unless they use a brute force attack... dang)
Some servers actually disallow dictionary words as password; and depending on WHICH dictionary you are using, it doesn't take long for someone to break in, be it antidisestablishmentarianism or not. BUT many websites only allow passwords of UP TO 8 characters, making it impossible to use long words. And frankly, I DON'T think antidisestablishmentarianism is a good password at all. We ALL know that using a random 7-character pass is WAY MUCH safer than using a 27-character WORD.

I remember 8 random characters being the minimum recommended length for a safe password.

What's your password? :) Let's see how secure it is.... :):)

Originally posted by zoli
What's your password? :) Let's see how secure it is.... :):)

:D