Using passwords

Passwords not only protect your information, but also the information you have on your phones, computers and other devices about your friends and family.

What should I do?

• Learn how to password protect all your devices.
• To create a strong password you should:
  • Use a minimum of six characters 
  • Have numbers and letters 
  • Have uppercase and lowercase letters 
  • Contain special characters 
• Make passwords easy for you to remember but tough for someone else to work out. For example ‘Mary had a little lamb’ – could make the password M1H2A3L2L1 
• Make sure you change passwords regularly.
• Use different passwords for everything. If you find it difficult to remember different passwords, use a base password but change it slightly each time. For example, you could use MHLL (Mary had a little lamb), but change the numbers to M5H10L15L20 
• Never share your passwords with others. While you may only share your password with someone you trust, relationships can change. 
• Log out of everything properly, rather than just closing things down.