Create strong passwords

You should also have more than one password that you use. Just as you wouldn't use the same key for your house, your car, your mailbox and your office, you shouldn't use the same password for all of your online accounts. This exposes you to more risk and increases the likelihood of having your information stolen.

• Use passwords that have at least eight characters.
• Use a combination of letters, numbers and symbols. This will create a much stronger password. For example, Tim_Chic@go171 is a better alternative than TIMCHICAGO. However, it is important to create a password that you can still remember without having to write it down.
• Another clever trick you can use to create a strong, yet still memorable password is to think of a phrase or a poem and convert the first letters of each word in the phrase into your password. For example, "How much wood could a woodchuck chuck" would become HmWc@wC.
• Using common data such as your name, family member's names, hometown, your birth date or any word that can be found in the dictionary make your password less secure (hackers often have programs that will try every word in the dictionary in order to crack your password).
• Using the same ID/password combination for several different accounts means that if one of your combinations is stolen, all of your accounts are at risk. For instance, if someone steals your password for your online photo site, they will be then able to access your online accounts. Try to use different combinations for your various online accounts.
• Never share your passwords with anyone.
• Be sure to "logout" of online sites when you are finished conducting your business. Don't just close the browser or "X" out of the page.