Password Security

What is password security?

Strong password security is knowing how to protect passwords and make authentication methods more secure.

Strong, Secure Password Characteristics

• Password must prevent unauthorized users from gaining access to secure information.
• Password must be complex enough that someone cannot guess or crack.
• Password must be memorable enough for you not to forget.
• Password must be kept secret and not shared with anyone.
• Password must be stored securely.

Password Security Best Practices

• Create a unique username rather than using your email address as your username with online accounts (when possible).
• Always use a unique password for each online account. Using only one password makes it easy for criminals to hack into your other accounts.
• Passwords should be complex, hard to guess, or randomly generated containing a mix of uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers and symbols. At a minimum, make sure your financial website passwords are more complex!
• Consider using a passphrase rather than a password to add length to your password - 12 characters minimum! (the longer the password, the harder to crack)
• Use a password manager to generate and store strong passwords for each account. LastPass is a great option!
• Use multi-factor authentication (MFA) where you are sent a code via email or text when trying to login to online accounts (when offered). You may have to search for this option to activate for your account as it may not be required when creating the account.
• Never leave written passwords easily accessible as you may not have control over physical access to such information.