Welcome to Week 2 of Cybersecurity Awareness Month, which focuses on “Using Strong Passwords and Password Managers.” Creating strong passwords that are easy to remember but hard to guess is foundational to being cybersmart. Managing strong passwords with a password manager will help keep your data secure.

Helpful Tips:
You can find more details with information on the following topics on the National Cybersecurity Awareness Alliance site and a quick tip sheet:

Every one of your passwords should be at least 12 characters long
Each account should be protected with its own unique password
Each unique password should be a combination of upper-case letters, lower-case letters, numbers, and special characters (like >, !, ?)
Because no one can remember a unique and complex password for each account, a password manager is the best way to create and maintain strong passwords for the ever-increasing number of online accounts we log into
A password manager encrypts passwords before they leave your device. It reminds you to change passwords regularly and evaluate their strength

Additional Resources:

Gain more knowledge via Password Infographic.

Facts and Figures:

81% of the total number of data breaches leveraged stolen or weak passwords. (LastPass)
Only 45% of adults would change a password after a breach. (Google)

Our emails and supporting information are available from the National Cyber Security Awareness Month (NCSAM) page on the CUNY Website. We also provide a growing security resources list on the CUNY Information Security pages. You may also want to visit the OUCH! website to read recent security articles or subscribe to the world’s leading, free security awareness newsletter designed for technology users.

If you have any questions about any of this information, please contact your College’s Information Security Manager.

By Editor