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When choosing passwords, it is important to choose complex passwords that are diificult for humans and computers to guess.

There are several approaches to creating secure passwords. In this post, a summary of the suggested password components to enhance your online security are provided.

Minimum password length: 18 characters

Passwords should contain:

  • Include Symbols
  • Include Numbers 
  • Include Lowercase Characters
  • Include Uppercase Characters

Tips for Maintaining Password Security 

  • Use a password manager - these tools can manage all of your passwords, assist in generating secure passwords, and provide awareness of compromises of your username or password online.
  • Regularly Update Passwords: Absolutely change passwords when you learn of any compromise of sites where you have accounts. Also, it is a good idea to set a schedule for changing passwords. Using a password manager can greatly reduce the effort in changing passwords more frequently.
  • Be Wary of Phishing Scams: Do not share your passwords through email or messages. Always verify the source before entering your credentials. 

It is highly recommended that you enable Two-Factor Authentication (2FA): 2FA on all sites, but particularly in sites that contain your financial and personally identifiable information (that includes social media). Multifactor authentication adds an extra layer of security by requiring a second form of verification. 

Common Password Mistakes to Avoid 

  • Using Common Passwords: Passwords like “123456,” “password,” and “qwerty” which are easily guessable. 
  • Recycling / Reusing Passwords: Using the same password across multiple sites increases your risk if one site is breached. 
  • Writing Passwords Down: Storing passwords in plain sight, like on sticky notes, can lead to unauthorized access.
  • Public Information: Using phrases that contain publicly available personal information or things you shared on social media.

This post is presented by the GW IT Cybersecurity Risk and Assurance team.

#SecuringGW is a shared responsibility, so if you see something, say something. Report suspicious digital activities, including phishing emails, to abuse[@]gwu.edu.. 

IT Support Questions? For IT support, please contact the Information Technology Support Center at 202-994-GWIT (4948), ithelp@gwu.edu, or visit ithelp.gwu.edu. 

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Between all of your online accounts, whether personal or work accounts, you probably have many unique — and complex — passwords to manage.  And since you know better than to write them down in a notebook, have them on sticky notes hidden under your mouse pad, or stored digitally on your desktop, what are you supposed to do? 

Passwords are one of the most vulnerable cyber defenses used to protect our online accounts, as passwords are the only barrier between online accounts and cybercriminals who have a desire to access to our data and systems. Utilizing a password manager is a security best practice that cyber professionals are recommending for us.  

Along with other security tips, password managers minimize the risk of mis-managing our passwords. The question that arises here, are password managers secure, and what is our responsibility here to manage the password manager? 

What is a Password Manager?

A password manager is software that allows users to generate passwords, store, and manage account information including usernames and passwords all in one location. Password managers offer other features such as complex password suggestions, identifying weak or repeated passwords used, and alerting its users when their credentials appear compromises. When you use a password manager, you will set a password that is often referred to as the “master” password.  This will be the only password you will need to remember.

Password managers are available in different formats: 

  • An online service hosted by a third party and accessed through a website portal. This type is useful if you need access to the password manager from multiple devices. 
  • Software installed locally on a workstation that can operate either completely offline or connected to the internet to synchronize your information to a cloud database and get software updates.  

Are Password Managers Secure? 

Password managers can offer a high level of security level for account credentials and information, if best practices are used to secure their master password.  Whether you use, or planning to get, an online, or an offline password manager, you need to follow the following practices: 

  • Do your research and get a trusted password manager software that has a high reputation in the industry. 
  • Use a strong master password for your password manager account and never forget it. Some password manager vendors would never retrieve your account if you can’t remember your master password. 
  • Enable two-factor-authentication (2FA) to your password manager account for an extra layer of security.  
  • Keep your password manager software, web browsers, and all other software you use up-to-date. 
  • Audit the list of devices that are approved to access your password manager. 
  • For work-related accounts, always use password managers that are approved by your organization. Follow your organization’s policies, standards and procedures when processing, storing or sharing work-related data. 

Remember, if password managers are managed appropriately, they will offer you the level of security you are looking for to your online accounts’ passwords. 

This post is presented by the GW IT Cybersecurity Risk and Assurance team with information from CISA.

#SecuringGW is a shared responsibility, so if you see something, say something. Report suspicious digital activities, including phishing emails, to abuse@gwu.edu. 

IT Support Questions? For IT support, please contact the Information Technology Support Center at 202-994-GWIT (4948), ithelp@gwu.edu, or visit ithelp.gwu.edu. 

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Content from National Cybersecurity Alliance. (2023, November 22). Take control of your data.

ALL YOUR ONLINE ACTIVITY GENERATES A TRAIL OF DATA

Your online activity creates a treasure trove of data. This data ranges from your interests and purchases to your online behaviors, and it is collected by websites, apps, devices, services, and companies all around the globe. This data can even include information about your physical self, like health data – think about how an app on your phone might count how many steps you take. 

You cannot control how each little piece of data about you and your family is collected. However, you still have a right to data privacy. You can help manage your data with a few repeatable behaviors. Your data is valuable and you deserve to have a say! 

Here are some simple, easy tips you that will help you manage your data privacy:

Know the tradeoff between privacy and convenience 

Nowadays, when you download a new app, open a new online account, or join a new social media platform, you will often be asked for access to your personal information before you can even use it! This data might include your geographic location, contacts, and photos.

For these businesses, this personal information about you is tremendously value — and you should think about if the service you get in return is worth the data you must hand over, even if the service is free.

Make informed decisions about sharing your data with businesses or services:

  • Is the service, app, or game worth the amount or type of personal data they want in return?
  • Can you control your data privacy and still use the service?
  • Is the data requested even relevant for the app or service (that is, “why does a Solitaire game need to know all my contacts”)?
  • If you haven’t used an app, service, or account in several months, is it worth keeping around knowing that it might be collecting and sharing your data?
Adjust privacy settings to your comfort level

For every app, account, or device, check the privacy and security settings. These should be easy to find in a Settings section and should take a few moments to change. Set them to your comfort level for personal information sharing; generally, we think it’s wise to lean on the side of sharing less data, not more.

You don’t have to do this for every account at once, start small and over time you’ll make a habit of adjusting all your settings to your comfort. We have in-depth, free resources like our Manage Your Privacy Settings page that lets you check the settings of social media accounts, retail stores, apps and more.

Protect your data

Data privacy and data security go hand-in-hand. Along with managing your data privacy settings, follow some simple cybersecurity tips to keep it safe. We recommend following the Core 4: 

Manage Your Privacy Settings

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