Password Creation

Passwords are critical for protecting your personal and professional information online. However, not all symbols are created equal when it comes to password security and compatibility. Some symbols are best avoided in passwords due to technical issues or security weaknesses. Here are five symbols you should typically exclude from your passwords and why:

1. Spaces ( )
   Though spaces can increase password length and complexity, many systems do not support spaces in passwords or trim them accidentally during authentication. This leads to login failures and frustration.
2. Backslash ()
   The backslash is often used as an escape character in programming and database queries. Including it in passwords can cause interpretation errors or even security vulnerabilities such as injection flaws.
3. Quotation Marks (" ')
   Single and double quotation marks can interfere with coding and database operations, leading to errors or security risks such as SQL injection, especially if input is not properly sanitized.
4. Angle Brackets (< >)
   These symbols are reserved in HTML and XML coding. Their presence in passwords might cause issues in web forms or triggers cross-site scripting (XSS) filtering mechanisms.
5. Semi-colons (;)
   Semi-colons often act as command delimiters in scripting languages and command lines. They may cause unintended command execution or errors in some systems.

Best Practice Advice:
While it might be tempting to pack your passwords with a wide array of symbols for complexity, always check the allowed character set for each platform. Opt for passwords combining letters, numbers, and universally accepted symbols such as @, #, $, %, &, and avoid problematic characters to ensure your password works everywhere and remains robust.

By steering clear of these five symbols, you reduce the chance of authentication issues and protect yourself from certain security vulnerabilities linked to improper symbol handling in passwords.