Password Security

Password security is a serious issue – read more to learn about how you can prevent a breach and keep your information secure.

Passwords are required for just about every aspect of our life. They are used for email accounts, online games, bank and credit card accounts, social networking sites, work computers, personal computers, cell phones – they are everywhere.

A strong password protects not only your personal security and identity, but also, in a business context, can protect business security and information. Unfortunately, sometimes we fall into the habit of using the same one or two passwords for various applications, or create passwords that have poor password security, using names, nickname, dates of birth and other obvious and predictable information.

These password choices are very risky, because once thieves gain access to one login, they can usually access many different pieces of information and wreak havoc on someone’s personal, financial and business lives.

To help ensure all of our employees are practicing good password security, below is a list of recommended guidelines for ensuring your password remains safe and your identity and company information is protected.

Password Security Practices:

• Never share your passwords with others.
• Don't leave passwords where others can find them, such as on a post-it on your desk.
• Don't leave your passwords where others can find them electronically. Never send them in email, leave them online in a file (even in a protected directory), embed them in a script, etc.
• If you absolutely must write down your passwords, keep them in a secure place.
• Don’t use easy to guess passwords. PC Magazine lists the following passwords as the most commonly used: password, password1, 123456, qwerty, abc123, letmein, monkey, blink182, your first name or a family member’s first name
• Use the maximum number of characters required to increase the complexity of guessing or cracking passwords. The most common non-alpha password character used is the”!”
• Change passwords regularly to prevent misuse of your account. MileOne windows login forces you to select a new password every 120 days.
• When accessing accounts that are outside of MileOne’s systems, use different user IDs and passwords for each account. If the provider accidentally reveals your user ID and password to thieves and you follow this guideline, thieves will not have information needed to access other sites that are important to you.

If you have any questions on passwords, please reach out to our MIS department for further guidance.