Password

Passwords provide the first line of defence against unauthorized access to your computer or other IT infrastructure.

Passwords must be looong

To make it even more secure, use a combination of numbers, capital and lower-case letters, as well as punctuation marks.

Easy to remember, difficult to guess

The password you choose should be easy for you to remember but hard for others to guess. One method can be to use a passphrase: pick a phrase that you can remember and take the first letters, numbers and punctuation to generate a seemingly random character combination:

For example: My friend Matt ate six doughnuts at the bakery café and it cost him £10 -> MfMa6d@tbc&ich£10

Use dedicated password

Each password must be used for a specific access: use separate passwords for different logins. Make sure you submit your password to the right system.

Change passwords regularly

Change your passwords immediately if you think they might have been compromised.

Use a password manager

To manage your passwords, use a password manager. Also, avoid saving your passwords in the browser.

Personal use

Passwords should not be shared with others, and you should never disclose them to anyone, regardless of the circumstances.

Use two-factor authentication

Two-factor authentication provides an extra layer of security: the user should provide an additional factor for authentication: security token, code sent by SMS (one-time password), etc.