Passwords are a critical piece of everyone’s cyber-self-care routine, and as World Password Day approaches on May 2, it’s a great reminder to treat your passwords like a toothbrush - your digital identity will thank you!
Your cyber hygiene can be just as important as your physical hygiene. Think about keeping your digital presence as well-maintained, clean and free of nasty viruses as you do your physical presence - seems pretty nice, huh?
Select A Strong One
Quality matters! By starting with a password that is strong, complex and hard to guess, the chances of a cyber criminal hacking into an account or device decreases. The University standard is a minimum of 16 characters, and it’s recommended to use a passphrase to add even more complexity.
Don’t Share It With Strangers OR Friends
There are some things everyone should keep to themselves, and passwords and toothbrushes are among them! Protect your passwords, and store them in a safe place to avoid them getting into the wrong hands. A password manager (like 1Password) is a great tool to help with this! Remember, no legitimate organization or trusted person will ask you for your passwords out of the blue, so keep them well protected.
Use in Only ONE Spot
Password reuse is a common reason accounts are hacked. Once one account is compromised, all accounts using the same password are at risk of the same. A password manager can help! 1Password is able to generate new and unique passwords for each account and store them securely. So, like your toothbrush, each password should serve one purpose and be used in only one place!
When in Doubt, Change it Out
If you believe a password may have been compromised, update it promptly. Be sure to stay up to date with the latest password strength guidelines. If your password is out of date or considered weak, update it to maintain a strong and complex layer of security.