Password Security

Passwords are the first line of defense against break-ins to your computer, tablet, phone, and online accounts. Poorly chosen passwords can open your information to criminals, so it’s important to make your passwords strong. Here's how.

Make sure your password:

• has upper case letters;
• has lower case letters;
• has numbers;
• has special characters;
• is frequently changed;
• is never shared and;
• is easy for you to remember but difficult for others to guess.

A good way to create a password is to use an acronym, also known as a passphrase, that is easy for you to remember. Such as “Am I going to Hawaii August 14 again?”. Using the 1st letter of each word, this would be “AIgtHA14a?.” Of course this is an example, and since it’s shown here, it should not be used. It is no longer a secure password.

Bad passwords:

• your name or any part of your name;
• keyboard patterns such as qwerty, asdfghijkl, or 12345678;
• your maiden name, your dog's name, your husband's middle name, etc.;
• something that someone who knows you can guess;
• ones that are too short;
• old passwords or easy passwords spelled backwards;
• one that you have to write down somewhere and;
• using public information about yourself from Facebook or Twitter.