When was the last time you updated your password? If it wasn't recently, Task #7 of our Spring Spruce Up Challenge is for you.
It's time to give your passwords a spring clean by changing all your passwords and creating new, strong and unique passwords for every account.
Create a Strong And Unique Password For Every Account
It's not the newest trend. In fact, it's rather old news. It's still very important to use strong passwords or passphrases, because yes, passwords really do still get cracked.
Password cracking techniques used over the years have become more sophisticated, but the tried and true methods still work. The more complex your passwords are, the less likely they'll end up in the hands of a cybercriminal. The age-old advice for selecting passwords still remains true:
- Combine upper and lower case letters.
- Use no less than eight characters. Passphrases are best.
- Include at least one number and one special character. More of each is better. You can also add a space at the end.
- Make them easy to remember, but difficult to guess. Add a portion of the website name to your phrase if it helps you remember it.
- Never include personal details in passwords such as your name, your kids' or loved ones' birthdays, or even pets' names.
- When your password recovery options ask which questions you want to choose, pick ones that are not obvious and few people know the answers to. Better yet, make up your answers. Just don't forget what you chose if you decide on this strategy.
Keep in mind that reusing the same password for multiple sites is still a bad idea. We know it can seem daunting, but it's safer to create different passwords for each site.
It's particularly critical to make sure your social media, healthcare, and financial account passwords are completely different from one another and from all passwords. Make it a routine to change passwords for your accounts regularly. We recommend at least once every three months. And remember don't share your passwords with anyone.
If it's too hard for you to remember all of your passwords, you can use a password manager app. There are plenty available through your app store. Take a peak at the ones listed here.
Doing a little spring cleaning and tidying up your passwords helps protect your accounts. At One Nevada, we take every measure to ensure your online access is safe and protected, but we invite you to be our partner in protecting you and to follow these tips to avoid any risk to your online safety.