Password Best Security Practices

As October approaches and we pile on the candy and costumes for Halloween, the month of October has also been recognized as Cybersecurity Awareness Month since 2003. Since its inception, Cybersecurity Awareness Month has helped "educate everyone and empowers individuals and businesses to protect their data from cybercrime" (National Cybersecurity Alliance, 2024). As we enter Cybersecurity Awareness Month, it is important to understand password security best practices.  

1. Password length: At least 12 characters in length  
2. Uniqueness: Avoid reusing passwords, each account should have its password  
3. Complexity: The password should have a combination of upper case letters, lower case letters, numbers, and special characters  
4. It is recommended that you change passwords every few months. 
5. Avoid revealing your passwords to others. (UC Santa Barbara, 2024)
6. Use multi-factor authentication (MFA) whenever available. (UC Santa Barbara, 2024)

References

UC Santa Barbara Information Technology. (n.d.). Password Best Practices. UC Santa Barbara Information Technology. 

‌Alliance, N. C. (2022, May 26). Passwords. National Cybersecurity Alliance.