Best Practices for Creating and Securing Your Passwords

Research shows that 88 percent of online data leaks and online security breaches are caused by human error. Understanding the basics of cybersecurity can make all the difference in protecting your information.

The Best Front-line Protection: Strong Passwords

Creating strong and unique passwords is critical to protecting accounts and personal information from scammers. No more using guessable passwords such as "123456" or "password." Going forward, use more lengthy passwords that include letters, numbers, and special characters. When creating new passwords, use a passphrase like a sentence or statement. This way, it is unique and something you can easily remember but difficult for others to guess.

“If you use the same password for multiple accounts and one of those websites is breached, your password is compromised, and hackers can access all the accounts and devices with that one password,” added Kurt Krueger, Frandsen Bank & Trust information security officer. “Hackers sell your information on the dark web to other hackers. A password manager will generate and store a strong, complex password for you. Password managers are a great way to combat password reuse."

Strong as a Bank Vault: Passphrase Best Practices

Think of your passphrase as the key to your online bank vault. Kruger shares additional tips and tricks for creating a secure password:

• Use at least four words in your passphrase. Random words without obvious connections are optimal.

• Your passphrase should be at least 15 characters. Longer is better.

• Add spaces, numbers, or special characters to increase complexity. For example: Purple Elephants Sliding#Over7Clouds

Passphrase Practices to Avoid

• Names of family, pets, or friends

• Birthdays, addresses, or phone numbers

• Sports team names

• Prominent athletes, actors, or musicians

• Anything an attacker could guess from your social media profile or job role.

• Substitutions such as @ for a, 3 for E, I for 1, etc.

Use Multi-Factor Authentication

Two-step authentication SHOULD be used whenever it's available. Multi-factor authentication (MFA) requires you to submit additional verification forms before being granted access to an account. This can be through codes sent to an email or mobile phone via text message.

A Strong Defence: Be on the Offence

Cybercriminals are highly intuitive when implementing phishing attacks to compromise personal data. Phishing attacks are simple; cybercriminals will send unsolicited emails and messages with links for the receiver to click. Kruger advises:

You Click It, You Risk It: Think Before You Click

Maintain Software Updates on Devices

Software updates help prevent corruption on your mobile devices. Patches and system updates should be installed immediately after release to ensure the device has the necessary safeguards. Security issues often present themselves when software updates need to be installed.

Spread Awareness

Please share this information with your friends and family. Let's all do our part to help create a safer digital environment for our community.