As technology advances, cybercriminals continuously adapt their tactics. To safeguard your personal information, devices, and accounts, it’s crucial to follow some basic password best practices and avoid common mistakes.

Do:

1. Use a password that contains uppercase letters, lowercase letters, numbers and symbols. Longer passwords tend to provide heightened security against various hacking methods.
2. Consider using a password phrase instead of just a simple word. Example: TheRedSoxwonin2013&2018.
3. Make your passwords difficult to guess by avoiding obvious choices such as the name of a family member, pet, birthday or a favorite hobby.
4. Change passwords regularly and make new passwords significantly different from previous passwords.
5. Enable Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) whenever possible. This adds and extra layer of protection by requiring a second form of verification in addition to your password.

Don’t:

1. Don’t use a single word that can be found in a dictionary. Example: turtle, basketball, purple
2. Don’t use the same password for multiple accounts.
3. Don’t use popular keyboard combinations. Example: 123456, qwert, zxcvbn, !@#$%^
4. Don’t write your password down where others can see or access it. If passwords become difficult to remember, try using a password manager (Dashlane, NordPass and RoboForm are a few reputable ones).