Information Security Month – Tech Tip

Tech Tips – Passwords and Multi-Factor Authentication 

This week’s tip is all about how to best use passwords and multi-factor authentication to secure your accounts. 

1. Use a password that is at least 10 characters long. The longer the better. For this purpose, sometimes a phrase is good, perhaps the title of the last book you read with a little bit of punctuation and capitalization mixed in. 
2. Don’t use common information in your password. Using your birthday, or your cat’s name, or even your favorite song is probably not a good idea, especially if you’ve posted about those things on social media in the past. 
3. If you are having a hard time remembering your passwords, use the first letter of every word in a phrase you know. Then mix in some punctuation and capitalization. Presto! Instant password that’s pretty tough to guess! 
4. Protect your password. No one should be told your password — not your professors, not your best friend, not even your boss. If someone else needs access to the particular resource you have access to, have them contact IT services. We can help! 
5. Use multi-factor authentication. MFA protects your account by sending you a text or giving you a phone call with a number you have to enter while logging in to your account. I know, it sounds like a pain, but it’s really not. You’ll be grateful when the hacker that somehow gets your account info can’t get in because he doesn’t have your cell phone too! For more info about how it works you can always contact IT Services. For those who want a few more details about how it works, just visit here.
6. Always, always, always change your password from the default.