World Password Day: Here are some tips to keep your password secure

World Password Day is marked on the first Thursday in May to create awareness about cyber security and the role strong passwords play in making our digital lives more secure. This day was first marked by Intel in the year 2013 to highlight how one compromised password can put our entire digital persona in jeopardy.  From financial transactions to social media identities, a lot of your personal information will be at risk if your password falls into the wrong hands. However, there are some ways you can minimise the risk of the same. This World Password Day, here are some tips you can use to protect your digital identities:

1. Don’t use the same password for multiple services: Try to create different passwords for your email, bank account and other online services to minimise vulnerability.
2. Create stronger passwords: Use a mix of alphanumeric characters, special symbols (such as  #!@$%^) and so on to create passwords between 8 and 20 characters. Do not use phrases or important dates such as birthdays, phone number, anniversary dates, social security numbers, pets name etc. in your password as they can be easily found on your social media accounts.
3. Keep changing your password: Modify your passwords at regular intervals to ensure that you can minimise the chances of your digital identity being hacked.
4. Always logout from devices: Remember to logout from devices like computers always, especially you are using a public network or a shared device. This will keep your digital identities secure and help you in memorising your password as well.
5. Never write down your password: There’s always a chance that the online platform or excel sheet you have written down your password in will be accessed by another person. Use password managers to store your passwords safely.
6. Enable two-factor authentication: This will help your accounts be more secure.
7. Remove all your data when your devices: If you are switching to a new phone or computer, ensure that you format all your data from your old device. If you fail to do so, it can result in sensitive information potentially falling into the wrong hands.