While it’s a necessity to protect your computer through anti-virus software, firewalls and regular updates, all of these safeguards are useless if you also don’t create and use strong passwords. Passwords are intended to help prevent unauthorized access to your account information, and should not be shared. To keep the information safe and protected you need to follow these basic rules when it comes to your password.
Change your password often. Change your passwords regularly! This makes it more difficult for hackers to guess your password. Most enterprise-level organizations have users change their passwords every 30 to 90 days.
Use a strong password. The object when choosing a password is to make it as difficult as possible for an intruder to identify your password, whether by educated guesses or automated attacks. Don’t use easy‐to guess information such as your name, a nickname, pet’s name, or similar information that is associated with you.
Avoid using the same password on different systems. When it comes to creating passwords, remember to use separate and unique passwords for each site. If unauthorized use occurs on one account, it could also happen to every account in which you utilize that password for.
Never store your password in a program. Many web browsers and web services will offer to store your password for you so that you don’t need to type it in each time you want to log on. Although it’s convenient, it’s not a good idea, especially when the computer you are using is shared.
If you need help understanding what options are available or need to know more about password and system security, one of our expert technicians at Penn Systems Group can help you.