7 SpecopsSTRONGPasswordGuide

With data breaches and security flaws a regular occurrence inour digital lives, we have taken a natural interest in protectingour personal and financial information. A secure password,that follows the best practices outlined below, is the first line ofdefence.

tips7#1SHHH!

DO NOT share yourpassword, write it on a post-it, store it on your computer

in plain text.

#2

Estimated time to crack an 8character password

SIZEMATTERS

Longer passwords are strongerpasswords. It really is just math,

portrayed in the differentcombination of characters.

MIX-A-LOT#3

EMBRACECHANGE

#4

Most things have an expirationdate, as should your passwords.When security is important, thepassword should be used for a

shorter period. 90 days is a goodnumber.

Introduce complexity and randomness:symbols, numbers, upper-case / lower-case

letters, and a combination of words thatare meaningless together.

68%of users selectpasswords froma limited set ofalpha-numericcharacters

#5

Reusing a password across multiple channels, or apassword that has been uncovered in a date breach,should be avoided. If you can find your password onany of the Worst Password Lists, change it. With the

right tools, IT departments can check passwordsagainst such lists, automatically blocking the use of

weak passwords.

NOT-SO-SECRETYour password may be strong, but can you say the

same about the security questions used when resettingpasswords? Common questions such as city of birth,

and name of pets can often be found on social media,and are extremely susceptible to social engineering.

#6

AVOIDREPETITION

80% of usersreuse

passwordsacrossmultiplechannels

2 IS BETTERTHAN 1

The cherry on top is actually another layer ofprotection. 2-Factor Authentication requiresusing two of the following: something youknow (i.e. password), something you have

(i.e. Mobile device), and something you are(I.e. Fingerprint).

#7

2-Factor Authentication can beenabled on most popular sites!

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