PII, which stands for Personal Identifiable Information, is sensitive information that includes an individual’s full name, social security number, financial information, medicals records, home addresses and more which is all being stored online. Accessibility of this information to users comes with serious security risks. A strong password policy is the front line of defense to confidential user information.
Passwords are a first line of protection against any unauthorized access into your personal computer. The stronger the password, the higher level of protection your computer has from malicious software and hackers.
DO:
- Do use passwords that are at least 12 characters long
- Do use passwords that contain uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and characters
- Do use different passwords for each account
- Do use passphrases
- Do use two-factor authentication
- Do update your password often
DO NOT:
- DO NOT write your password on a sticky note and place it somewhere visible, like on your monitor
- DO NOT share your passwords with anyone
- DO NOT use the same password for each account
- DO NOT use old passwords
- DO NOT use anything generic like “password” or “12345”
- DO NOTuse passwords based on personal information
Here are some good examples of strong passwords:
- 2BorNot2B_ThatIsThe? (To be or not to be, that is the question – from Shakespeare)
- 14A&A41dumaS (one for all and all for 1 – from The Three Musketeers, by Dumas)
- ABT2_uz_AMZ! (About to use Amazon)
- Pwrd4Acct-$$ (Password for account at the bank)