Part two of the National Cybersecurity Awareness Month series covers how to develop a strong password and how password managers can help.
When it comes to account and data security, the first line of defense is the password to access them. Utilizing strong passwords and keeping good password hygiene is very important to protecting yourself.
An important tool available is the password manager, such as Lastpass or 1Password. Password managers allow you to store your passwords in a secure encrypted location and access them by using a master password. Doing this can allow you to keep strong passwords to your various accounts without having to memorize them while storing them in a secure location. Many password managers can also suggest strong passwords for you to use. Password managers must be protected by a strong master password as well, so consider the following when creating a password for yourself.
- Use an assortment of character types. Utilizing special characters, numbers and capitalized letters can increase the complexity of a password making it harder to guess.
- Create a password that is long. Try to make a password that is at least 16 characters long. Since computers are used to guess passwords when trying to break into an account, the longer they are, the longer it takes.
- When creating a long password, consider using a phrase or a sentence to make it easier to remember.
- Do not reuse passwords for multiple accounts. If a data breach involving passwords occurs with an account you have a reused password on, it can lead to all the accounts using that password being compromised.
- Change your passwords every three months. By changing your passwords, you can help protect yourself from data breaches that may not have gone public yet by invalidating old passwords.
If you believe your password may have been compromised please contact the Campus Technology Services (CTS) Help Desk. You can also change your password by accessing account tools.
For more information on password security, CTS encourages you to watch this LinkedIn Learning video on Password Security.
-- Submitted by Campus Technology Services