The average person uses more than 100 passwords in their online lives, and that means 100 unique passwords to remember — if you’re doing it right.
During Cybersecurity Awareness Month, Information Technology Services has these four tips to defend your data in personal accounts:
One of a kind. Each account needs a unique password. If not, a bad actor who compromises one of your accounts has access to them all.
Longer is stronger. The longer your password is, the harder it is to guess. Use at least 12 characters and include numbers and special characters.
Tools exist. Password managers such as LastPass, Keeper, Dashlane, and 1Password save you the trouble of having to remember multiple passwords or, even worse, writing them down for someone to find. You only need to remember one master password.
Complexity helps. If you need to memorize a master password, create a memorable “passphrase” of five to seven unrelated words. Get creative with spelling and/or add numbers or symbols. A passphrase like “M0unta1n33rsG0F1rst!” would take 10 years to crack.
Remember, never use your WVU Login password for personal, non-University accounts and never share it with anyone or write it down for someone to find.