"...a fast dual processor computer can generate 100,000,000 password combinations per second one has to be aware of the simple fact that your password can be cracked. Luckily there are different controls in place that prevent passwords from being tried again and again. For instance there are several web portals that only allow 3 password tries, if you fail on the third try your account is either locked until verified or locked for a number of hours.

Yes, an eight character numeric password will be cracked instantly by almost any computer. A password using alphanumeric characters and symbols will take approximately 83.5 days to crack. Conclusion use a longer password when possible and make sure to use the a combination of numbers, upper/lower case letters, and finally symbols..." (see source article )

Trust us, in this new age you can't rely on passwords like jack1234 or jill518 to keep your personal information safe. Get a password generator that will generate as many very strong passwords as you need. A tool like Roboform can not only generate extremely strong passwords, but can store them and "remember" them for you when you need them. Roboform will even fill in the forms for you on site where you need to login.

Note: Both EB and TC use Roboform and we highly recommend it. We've tried some of the others available and weren't very impressed. There are several free programs similar to Roboform and we've tried some of them, but we have never found anything as easy to use or with as many features as Roboform. If you try some of the free ones and like one of them, by all means use it. The point is to use something that will break your habit of using simple passwords that anyone could guess - or that a computer could crack instantly. The new age of "the cloud" is here and it's time you started getting ready for it whether you like it or not.