WEBVTT

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Here's an important number you may not know.

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According to industry reporting, 94% of passwords are reused or duplicated.

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This is a huge problem. Why?

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Because password reuse makes it much easier for cyber attackers to guess passwords and steal sensitive data

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such as professors’ research, student records, and even institutional funds.

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The good news is that this is avoidable.

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Just using these smart password practices can help keep your data and assets more secure.

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Use long passwords — 12 or more characters. Longer passwords are exponentially harder for bad actors to crack.

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Use random strings of letters, numbers, and symbols.

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Use a memorable passphrase of 4 to 7 words like dog, fly, swim, forklift, lofty.

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I know this is difficult, but try to use a different password for each of your accounts,

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at least the important ones.

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This way, the cybercriminal steals one of your passwords. They can't use it to access your other accounts.

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These are all good password practices,

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but there are also several bad ones you'll want to avoid.

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Don't use ABC123, password123, QWERTY.

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Don't use any dictionary words like cat or ball or purple, at least not on their own.

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Don't use well-known phrases like the cat in the hat.

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Don't use some slight departure from an ordinary word, for example. Alligator, with the second day being an @ symbol.

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There's another option starting to be used more broadly that avoids passwords altogether.

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Passkeys.

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Passkeys use biometric authentication, such as your face or fingerprint, to authenticate who you are.

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This means you don't have to remember your passwords.

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Bad password habits are hard to break.

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But being smart about your passwords can go a long way to solving this persistent problem.

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And passkeys are a great option where they're available.

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Remember, protecting higher education data is paramount.