Scam Safety Guide

Password Safety

A Good Password Should Be…

Long

At least 12 characters long

Complex

A mix of uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and special characters

Unique

Shouldn’t be reused for different accounts.

Unfamiliar

Does not contain personal information

(Ex: birthday)

Password Creation Guide

Add Special Characters

  • Replace spaces between words with underscores. (Example: how are you? → how_are_you?)
  • Replace letters with special characters. (Examples below)

a = @

A = 4

b = 6

B = 8

E = 3

g = 9

i = !

l = 1

o = 0

S= $

t = +

Z = 2

Practice!

Good

Take a word and modify it

Word:

cybersecurity

Modified:

cy83r$3cur!ty

Even Better!

Take a phrase and modify it so it is longer and more complex

Phrase:

Stay Safe Friend!

Modified:

$+@y_$@f3_Fr!3nd!

Password Managers

Password managers keep your passwords safe. They are easy to use and fill in your passwords automatically.

In-Browser Managers

Integrated directly into web browsers and can automatically save passwords to sites you visit.

Examples include: Google Password Manager & Microsoft Edge Password Manager. Both can be found within your browser settings.

Standalone Application Managers

Separate applications that offer more advanced password management features but might require a subscription.

Examples include: Bitwarden, NordPass & 1Password. All can be found when searched for on your browser, but will require download.

Multi-factor Authentication

Multi-factor authentication hardens your account security by requiring a second validation in addition to your password.

  • Examples include: Getting a login code via call, text, or app.
  • Adds a second layer of security beyond passwords.
  • Easy to set up and highly effective.
  • Use for sensitive accounts like banking, shopping, and other important accounts.
  • Prevents attackers from logging into your account without the code.

99.9%

99.9% of compromised accounts don’t have MFA, leaving them vulnerable to password spray, phishing, and password reuse

99.9%

99.9% of account compromise attacks can be prevented if using multi-factor authentication (MFA)