USING SAFE PASSWORDS

We all rely on passwords to access bank accounts, social media, email and more. That’s why protecting them is so important. Creating a strong password is the first step in reducing the risk of unauthorised access to your systems or accounts.

How to create strong passwords

  • Use a mimimum of 10 characters, a mix of uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers and special characters like #,&, and *.
  • Consider creating unique passphrases that only you will know. Passphrases are longer and more complex than passwords. For example, 'AreY0uACyberCri1minal?BadLuckm8'.
  • Avoid using keyboard patterns such as 'qwerty' or ‘qazwsx', repeated letters (e.g bbbbb) or sequential numbers (e.g 123456789).
  • Make passwords hard-to-guess and avoid using the names of your children, partner, pets or your birthday.
  • Ensure you create different passwords for your different accounts.
  • Don't share your passwords with anyone.
  • Consider using a password manager to help you create and manage strong passwords.

CHECK YOUR UNDERSTANDING

Pick the strongest password from the below.

September1970

Incorrect. Never use a date.

Rover

Incorrect. You should not use easy-to-guess information, and especially personal information such as a pet’s name in your password. It is also under 10 characters long and does not contain any numbers or special characters.

123456

Incorrect. This password uses numbers next to each other on a keyboard. It also has less than 10 characters.

itwasthebestoftimesitwastheworstoftimes

Incorrect. While this is a long password (passphrase), it’s a well- known phrase.

Myd0gzn@m3iz_Mil0

Correct. This password has over 10 characters, uses a combination of upper and lowercase letters and has a number and a special character (@). Because this password stands for ‘My dog’s name is Milo’ this password is complex, and easier to remember.