From tips on server security to strategies for cutting server power consumption to answers to most important server questions, the bMighty Server How-To Center offers the nuts and bolts info you need to choose and install a server for your business in a series of exclusive, downloadable guides.
The rule of thumb on passwords has long been eight characters. However, utilities can now attempt at least a million possible passwords per second; at that rate, an eight-character lowercase password can be cracked in 59 hours. Using uppercase letters and numbers ups the ante, but hackers will continue to wield more computational power. Though there is no unbreakable password security, you can avoid being an easy target with these measures:
Require user passwords to be at least 12 characters long and include uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and shift characters (such as @, &, or %).
Don't use so-called "dictionary words" as passwords. These include common misspellings, clever misspellings, expletives, slang, digital slang like ROTFL (rolling on the floor laughing), and commonly used foreign words.
Do not create a password by adding a number to the end of a previous password; however, adding numbers in the middle of the word is permissible.
Don't allow users to recycle previously used passwords.
Don't allow passwords that are derived from birthdays, anniversaries, pet names, children's names, or any other publically available personal information.
If your server operating system has a feature requiring password changes after a selected time limit, use it. A common time limit is 42 days.
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