Tips for creating a strong password

1. Use password manager Keeper

This is a kind of digital vault in which all the passwords you have with different websites are kept safe. All you have to remember is one master password. Keeper can also come up with and store complicated passwords by itself. In addition, Keeper uses 'Breach Watch' to monitor if your passwords are not floating around somewhere online, such as on the dark web. If your passwords are detected, you get an alert and have a new password created easily. More information about Keeper and how to install Keeper, can be found on the Self Service Portal: Getting started with Keeper - Self-Service Portal (uvt.nl)

2. Use a unique password for each account

Internet criminals often try out a stolen password on as many different internet services as possible. If criminals get their hands on one of your passwords, because one website is hacked, they might have immediate access to all of your accounts.

3. Choose a passphrase

Use a saying, phrase from a song or any other phrase that you can remember well. But do something extra with it, such as setting the first letters of each word from the song or phrase as your password. 

4. Don't make it too simple/systematic

Like 123, abc or ABC, your own username, last name or other information that can be traced back to you as a person, such as a date of birth and names of your children or pets. It is often already enforced that a password contains at least 1 digit, 1 uppercase letter, 1 lowercase letter and special characters (such as ~ ! @ # $ % ^ & ?).

5. Choose a long password

At least 8 characters, but the longer the better. A longer password exponentially increases the number of options for hacking a password. Password hacking takes time and money. So the longer it takes, the less profitable the operation becomes for criminals. 

6. Change your passwords at least once every six months

Your login credentials may have been obtained by hackers in a data breach. If you do not use the 'Data Breach' function in Keeper, check manually on Have I Been Pwned. As a precaution, Tilburg University requires you to change your password for your Tilburg University account at least once every six months.

The longer the password, the stronger

 

Do you use one of the ten most common passwords?

Then it is wise to change your password as soon as possible. Especially if you use the password for multiple accounts.