Password

Let's be honest, passwords are annoying. These days, we need a password or PIN everywhere. We have so many that we can't keep track of them all so for the sake of convenience many of us choose passwords that are easy to remember. We use the names of our children, our own names or birthdays and even the name of our favourite pet. And to make it even easier, we'll use the same password every time we sign up for a website requiring one.

Why passwords are important

The problem is, when it comes to passwords, convenience equals risk. While we may find them annoying it is important to remember that they are often the first (and possibly only) defence against intrusion. The following is why passwords are important.

• they protect personal information such as financial accounts and private documents
• it is important to note that passwords that are easy to remember are usually also easy for others to guess
• using passwords that are easy to figure out and using the same password over and over again is like leaving a master key to all of your locks under your doormat
• to protect yourself it's important to use strong passwords and to use a different password on every website you use

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What is a strong password?

A strong password is one that is difficult for others to uncover. So what does it look like?

• a strong password consists of at least six characters (and the more characters, the stronger the password) that are a combination of letters, numbers and symbols (@, #, $, %, etc.) if allowed
• passwords are typically case-sensitive, so a strong password contains letters in both uppercase and lowercase
• they also do not contain words that can be found in a dictionary or parts of the user's own name, names of family members, birth dates or pet names

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A guide to good password management and usage

• create a strong password from an easy to remember phrase e.g. 'My birthday is on the 10th February', using the first character in each word gives you 'Mbio1f'
• do not write down your password, it can easily be read by another person
• do not share your passwords with anyone; you are personally responsible for the information protected by your passwords
• change your passwords often (every 3 to 6 months)
• create different passwords for each organisation you deal with over the Internet
• do not use personal information such as dates of birth, pets names etc
• make the password at least six characters in length and the longer the better
• include upper and lower case letters, numerals, symbols
• have at least four different characters in your password with no repeats

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Please note: Neither we nor the police will ever contact you to ask you to reveal your online banking or payment card PINs, or your password information.