Best Practices For Password Security

Secure passwords can make all the difference in protecting your account (and ultimately the college) from cyber-security attacks. Below is a list of best practices to help keep your password secure.

Use unique passwords: Using the same password for multiple sites is an easy way to be compromised. Many potential attackers gain access to bulk lists of login IDs and password. They use these lists on many other sites hoping to find a user that re-used the same login information.
Create secure passwords: The only secure password is the one you can't remember ( Opens in new windowTroy Hunt ). We strongly recommend you use a password manager to help with this (more information below). Do not make your password easy to get for someone who knows you. Avoid creating passwords using important dates (birthday, anniversary, etc.) and the names of pets. How to create a secure password.
Use a password manager: Password managers store your passwords for you so you do not need to remember them. Most will generate strong passwords for you when you create a new login for a site. These allow you to use unique passwords for all your login credentials and they allow you to use stronger passwords without worrying about forgetting them. There are free password managers, but some require a subscription. Some examples are as follows: Opens in new windowBitWarden , Opens in new windowLastPass , and Opens in new window1Password .
Verify the integrity of your credentials: Using a site like Opens in new windowhttps://haveibeenpwned.com/ can help inform you if your credentials have been leaked. The site keeps up-to-date with data breaches and can email you if your credentials are leaked. There is a page to inform you if your password has been part of a breach ( Opens in new windowhttps://haveibeenpwned.com/Passwords ).
Change passwords (especially if you feel like you've been compromised): Immediately change any password that you feel may have been compromised.