Use Strong Passwords or Passphrases to Secure Your Login

Your passwords are the key to a host of information about you and potentially those close to you. If someone can access your personal information, it can have serious long-term effects—and not just online! Identity theft is one of the fastest growing crimes out there, and it can take a lot of time, effort, and money to recover from this sort of crime. Strong passwords, passphrases, or multifactor authentication (MFA) provide a barrier between our University community members and their personal information.

Follow these recommendations to protect your identity while making the Internet more secure for everyone:

• Use a passphrase instead of a password. Passphrases are usually 16 characters or more and include a combination of words or short sentence that is easy to remember (e.g., PurpleApplesBloom4Me!)
• Use a fingerprint or biometric requirement to sign in when available. This provides an extra layer of protection for devices and apps.
• Request single-use authentication codes that can be sent to your phone or delivered by an app.
• Take advantage of whatever multifactor authentication methods are available for your service. Learn more about adding MFA to online accounts.
• Use a password manager or password vault software, such as LastPass, to help keep track of all your passwords and avoid password reuse.
• Use unique passwords for all of your different accounts. This will prevent a compromise on one account from placing your other accounts at risk. Also, sensitive accounts, such as banking or medical information, should have even stronger passwords.
• Avoid using your UR email address and password on external systems and accounts.

Review the University Password Policy for password requirements associated with your UR accounts.