What are Login Credentials?

A login credential is a user ID and password combination that allows users to access a website or application. Users need to enter their login credentials every time they want to use the site or app.

Users can register on a website using their existing email address, create a new email address specifically for that site, or do so through another social media account connected to the same website.

When creating an account on most websites or apps, you’ll be asked to enter your username and password. Users may have different login credentials for different services such as social media sites, financial institutions, and online stores.

They are typically used to verify the identity of a person logging into the system when there may be some risk involved in doing so — such as with an online bank account, e-commerce service, or social media platform with some personal information like date of birth or home address listed publicly.

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Photo by mohamed_hassan on Pixabay

There are two main types of login credentials, based on how they’re generated and how they’re protected:

Static. This is a credential that is generated and saved on a server and remains the same throughout a user’s entire login session. This means that your password will remain the same unless you update it.
Transient. This is a credential that is generated each time a user logs in — it changes each time. This is also known as a “one-time password,” or OTP, because the server will generate a brand new code each time a user logs in. Many financial institutions use OTPs for login credentials, such as when logging into your checking or savings account. OTPs are recommended for login credentials when there is a risk of malicious actors logging into a server and accessing private information.

There are a few tried and true ways to remember login credentials, but only if the site or app you are logging into is one you will use regularly.

This means you should probably forget about the digital notebook or paper journal where you wrote down your login credentials. There are other better, more secure ways to keep track of all your different credentials, for example, to use a password manager.

The best way to keep track of login credentials is to use a password manager like PassCamp. This tool enables you to store login credentials in one place and generate new, secure login credentials when you need to log in to a new site or app.

Tips for Creating Stronger Credentials

Use long passwords. If a website or app allows you to create long passwords with letters, numbers, and symbols, do so. Longer passwords are harder to crack and take longer to hack through brute force, but only if you use a strong, hard-to-crack password.
Avoid common words in passwords. Hacking tools such as dictionaries and brute force tools can try thousands of simple passwords such as “password” or “12345678” before they move on to more complicated passwords.
Don’t use the same password for multiple websites or apps. If you need to set up login credentials for a new website, make sure you aren’t reusing the same password from another website. If you are reusing the same password, replace it with a stronger, more unique password for the new site.

Apply these rules and stay safe online.