Password Tips
Scroll down for some handy tips that might just keep you out of trouble. For a more colourful journey click here.
Tip One
Do not use personal or identifiable information that is easily findable or guessable as your password...
…such as, favorite band, team, pet, friends, family names or birthdays, of others & your own…
Tip Two
Don’t make it obvious!
The most commonly used passwords that hackers probably guess first are…
1. 123456
2. 123456789
3. qwerty
4. password
5. 12345
6. qwerty123
7. 1q2w3e
8. 12345678
9. 111111
10. 1234567890
If you have any of these as your password, or anything similar in simplicity, it is advisable to update it.
Tip Three
For passwords you do not wish to keep stored, the NCSC advises to use three random unconnected words with at least 5 letters each and spaces in between.
This technique helps prevent attacks!
Tip Four
Avoid writing passwords on paper, however if you do, store them in a secure location, not near your device.
Please remember to change your password if it ever goes missing.
Tip Five
Use different passwords for different accounts!
​If one site storing your login details had a data breach, the perpetrators could use these same login details to try and hack into other online accounts, e.g. email…
…if they manage to get into your email account, they could use the forgot password feature to gain access into other accounts associated with that email, e.g. banking, social media etc.
Tip Six
A password manager can be useful for creating, storing and organising complex, difficult to crack passwords as some logins will request numbers, uppercase letters and special characters, which are harder to configure and remember.
Try… F!0ppy @!ph@83t c3r3@! instead of floppy alphabet cereal
Have a look around the web for a manager that suits your needs, but below are some you may want to look at:
​
NordPass
Dashlane
Agilebits 1Password
Keeper Password Manager
Last Pass
Zoho Vault
Tip Seven
Two-factor authentication (2FA) adds an extra layer of password protection by incorporating dual login capacities…
…e.g., your standard password plus a pin, or text confirmation.
Hackers will need more information to be able to gain access to accounts using this method.
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