How to keep accounts secure & passwords safe

Just like your housekeys, you want to do everything you can to keep your passwords safe. 

Passwords can be made ironclad with additional authentication methods, such as multifactor authentication (MFA).

No matter what accounts they protect, all passwords should be created with these three guiding principles in mind: LONG, UNIQUE, COMPLEX.

Long – Every one of your passwords should be at least 12 characters long.

Unique – Each account needs to be protected with its own unique password. Never reuse passwords. This way, if one of your accounts is compromised, your other accounts remain secured. We’re talking really unique, not just changing one character or adding a “2” at the end – to really trick up hackers, none of your passwords should look alike.

Complex – Each unique password should be a combination of upper case letters, lower case letters, numbers and special characters (like >,!?). Each password should be at least 12 characters long. Some websites and apps will even let you include spaces.

But remembering all my passwords is so hard! 

It has never been easier to maintain your passwords with free, simple-to-use password managers. You just need to remember the one password that unlocks your password manager vault. There are many free and easy-to-use tools out today that makes managing your library of unique passwords a snap.

Its safe to ditch the notebook

Password managers not only let you manage hundreds of unique passwords for your online accounts, but some of the services also offer other advantages:

• Saves time
• Works across all your devices and operating systems
• Protects your identity
• Notify you of potential phishing websites
• Alerts you when a password has potentially become compromised

Passwords are your first line of defence against cybercriminals and data breaches. For more details visit: www.be-cybersavvy.co.uk