A safe, secure password is your first line of defense against hackers. The following tips will help ensure that your email, website and other accounts are safe from intruders.
Use unique passwords for every account
All your important accounts should have unique and different passwords. If for some reason an intruder is able to figure out one of your passwords, having different passwords will lower the chance of them hacking into other accounts and gaining access to email, your financial accounts and personal health information.
As a client of Practis, we encourage you make every effort to minimize access to your patients’ health records. Using a strong, unique password will help in this effort.
Use a combination of letters, numbers and symbols
A strong password contains more than seven characters with upper and lower case letters and a combination of numbers and symbols. This password has thousands of different combination options, making it very difficult to guess.
Also, avoid using passwords that represent special dates, names or words that can be hacked by obtaining personal information about you. Hackers will use social media and other means to learn about you in hopes of cracking your code. Do more than the minimal. When you can, create passwords that are longer than eight (8) characters.
Change your password often
Changing your password every 30 to 60 days is important. If someone has figured out your password and you are unaware they are using your account, changing your password will limit the amount of times unauthorized users are able to log in. If you are a Practis client using one of our Secure Forms modules, we suggest updating your password as soon as your new user account has been created. Do not continue to use the original password created for your account.
Use a passwords manager
Writing passwords down is a guaranteed way to have someone hack into your accounts. Never post your password to your computer monitor, desk or other location where it can be seen by others.
If you have many user accounts and passwords, you may want to consider using one of the many secure password management tools that are available. Some of our favorites include: keepass, LastPass, 1Password.
Treat your user credentials like you would your toothbrush.
For more information about user accounts and passwords, please visit our Support Center.
