The overarching theme for the month is, ‘Own IT. Secure IT. Protect IT.’ and Suffolk University is proud to support this initiative this October.

Each Week We will post a new tip or video around the theme of 'Own IT. Secure IT. Protect IT.'

Please watch a funny video about Passwords (Jimmy Kimmel Live Jan 2015). What do you think, still true today? (spoiler alert the answer is yes)

Creating a strong password is an essential step to protecting yourself online and at Suffolk. Using long and complex passwords is one of the easiest ways to defend yourself from cybercrime. Creating a strong password is easier than you think. Follow these simple tips to shake up your password protocol:

SIMPLE TIPS to a better Password

Don’t make passwords easy to guess. Do not include personal information in your password such as your name or pets’ names. This information is often easy to find on social media, making it easier for cybercriminals to hack your accounts.

Use a long passphrase.  Consider using the longest password or passphrase permissible. For example, you can use a passphrase such as a news headline or even the title of the last book you read. Then add in some punctuation and capitalization.

Avoid using common words in your password. Substitute letters with numbers and punctuation marks or symbols. For example, @ can replace the letter “A” and an exclamation point (!) can replace the letters “I” or “L.”

Get creative. Use phonetic replacements, such as “PH” instead of “F”. Or make deliberate, but obvious misspellings, such as “enjin” instead of “engine.”

Keep your passwords on the down-low. Don’t tell anyone your passwords and watch for attackers trying to trick you into revealing your passwords through email or calls. Every time you share or reuse a password, it chips away at your security by opening up more avenues in which it could be misused or stolen.

Unique account, unique password. Having different passwords for various accounts helps prevent cyber criminals from gaining access to these accounts and protect you in the event of a breach. It’s important to mix things up—find easy-toremember ways to customize your standard password for different sites.

Utilize a password manager to remember all your long passwords. The most secure way to store all of your unique passwords is by using a password manager. With just one master password, a computer can generate and retrieve passwords for every account that you have – protecting your online information, including credit card numbers and their three-digit Card Verification Value (CVV) codes, answers to security questions, and more. 

For more information on Passwords please visit https://wikis.suffolk.edu/display/ITSEC/Strong+Password

For more information about ways to keep you and your family safe online visit https://staysafeonline.org/stay-safe-online/online-safety-basics/ 

Observed every October, the 16th annual National Cyber Security Awareness Month (NCSAM) is committed to encouraging personal accountability, securing behaviors, and maintaining digital privacy in the cybersecurity landscape. This initiative was created as a joint effort between government and industry providing resources to stay safe and secure online.