Password Security Tips to Safeguard Your Accounts

In a recent phishing attack targeting the Seton Hall community, several accounts were compromised after users entered personal information into a fraudulent request form, including their email password. In light of this recent attack, the Department of Information Technology would like to remind users of the importance of password security.

First and foremost, users should NEVER share their password, in any situation or under any circumstance. Users often feel compelled to share their personal information if they believe the request is coming from a trusted source. Or, as demonstrated in this video, simply because someone asks for it. It’s important to note that no one at the University, including IT staff, will ever ask for your password. If you receive a request for personal information via email, report it using the “Report Phish” button located in your Outlook toolbar. 

Create a Strong Password

Despite growing awareness around online security risks, most people still opt for creating simple, commonly used passwords. Oftentimes, the same passwords are recycled across multiple accounts. Creating a unique password for different online accounts can be a challenge, but in today’s digital landscape, it is essential. A strong password is one that is difficult to guess and includes a mix of letters, numbers, and special characters.  

Simple Steps to Create Complex Passwords:

1. Pick a favorite line from a movie, book, poem, etc.:  
   For example: “I’m going to put an end to this, once and for all”
   
   
2. Remove spaces and punctuation:
   Imgoingtoputanendtothisoneandforall
   
   
3. Change a few of the smaller words:
   Imgoing2putanendtothisonce&4all 
   
   
4. Replace some of the letters with symbols and numbers: 
   !mg0ing2put@nendtothi$onc3&4all
   
   
5. Replace some of the characters in the identifiable words with nearby keys on your keyboard: !mg0ung2[ut@nrnd2thi$onc3&4a;k
   
   
6. Lastly, change a few characters to capital letters: 
   !mG0unG2]ut@nrnd2thi$Onc3&4;K

If you were given the original sentence, you likely could not easily guess the password created from it. However, this technique gives users a method for creating and remembering longer and more complex passwords.

Manage Your Passwords

As your passwords become more complex and unique for each account you are required to sign into, you may find yourself needing a way to organize and manage them. Users should never locally store or write down passwords. Doing so increases the risk of lost passwords and unauthorized access. Instead, password managers offer an effective solution.

Password managers securely store and generate unique passwords for different accounts, with the added benefit of only having to remember one password. Popular password managers include: 1Password, LastPass, LogMeOnce, and Dashlane.

Password Update Security Steps

After updating your Seton Hall password, be sure to follow these steps to avoid access issues in other applications.

• Reboot your computer.
• Log out, then, with your new password, log back into Microsoft Teams.
• Exit out of, then relaunch Microsoft Outlook as well as any web browsers that you are actively logged into.
• Update your password for the Microsoft apps installed on mobile and non-SHU issued devices.
• Update your password to reconnect to “campus” Wi-Fi on mobile and non-SHU issued devices. Note, you may need to delete “campus” and reconnect with your new password depending on the device type.
• Log out, then, with your new password, log back into any Seton Hall mobile apps, such as Okta mobile, SHU mobile, etc.
• If you have passwords saved in your browser(s) or password manager, be sure to update them accordingly.

Strong passwords are critical information security components and are fundamental to keeping users safe from various password-related cyber attacks. Password managers further reduce the risk of breached passwords. Safeguard your accounts by practicing secure password habits and notify the Department of Information Technology immediately if you believe your password has been compromised.

Categories: Science and Technology