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EMOJI’S CAN BE A REALLY USEFUL TOOL WHEN IT COMES TO YOUR ONLINE SECURITY, AND THEY CAN BE A GREAT WAY TO MAKE IT TRICKIER FOR SOMEONE TO GUESS YOUR PASSWORD MARIAM KHAN 08:00, 19 Jul

2024Updated 16:27, 19 Jul 2024 Security experts have shared their top tips on how to make a hacker's life hell - the password trick could be a nightmare for hackers. More than likely if

you scroll through your text conversations, especially the group chat you will see that they are filled with emojis. It’s a common way to react to messages and it can make a simple message

more effective whilst adding a sense of personality to texts or social media posts. However, emoji’s can be a really useful tool when it comes to your online security, and they can be a

great way to make it trickier for someone to guess your password. Ben Van Pelt, founder of TorGuard, a cybersecurity company, says that computers treat emojis like any other character in a

password, alongside numbers and punctuation. Ben said: “Not only are emojis easier to remember than some random letters and numbers, but they're also a less common trick for hackers to

try. If someone's trying to break into your account by brute force and your password has only letters, numbers and punctuation, there are only a handful of options for each character

they have to guess,” says the expert. “With well over 3,600 standardised emojis out there, throwing one into your password means hackers have a significantly trickier time guessing it. Each

symbol they try now has thousands more possibilities to consider,” explains the expert. A password with five different emojis is like having a nine-character strong password, and with seven

emojis, it's as good as 13 regular characters.” Article continues below Whilst it’s a nifty hack it’s worth remembering, that not all apps allow emojis in passwords. It's a good

idea to check first if the app or website accepts emojis in passwords. That way, you can avoid any frustration if your chosen emoji trick isn't allowed. Having a secure password is

important in the online world, but having an emoji in your password might slow you down when logging in quickly. Likewise, using the same emojis repeatedly across different accounts could

make them easier to guess for someone who knows your habits. The expert concludes: “For a good, strong password, consider adding an emoji or two. It’ll certainly make it a right pain for

anyone trying to guess it.” Whilst creating secure passwords with emojis can be enjoyable it will not be fun not being able to remember every letter and emoji combination or resetting

accounts all the time. Utilising a password manager can also be useful in creating a secure online environment for yourself. Article continues belowREAD MORE: I used to work at Boots and

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