Create a Strong Password
Weak passwords – those that aren’t hard to guess – make it easy for casual acquaintances or attackers to access your online accounts. Here are some tips for creating or changing your password:
- Use a different password for every site.
- Do not use people's names and special dates as passwords. Avoid any combination of characters that friends or acquaintances can easily guess. For example, a password such as "April15" for a TurboTax Online account is not a strong password.
- Use syllables or acronyms. Avoid using complete words that appear in any dictionary regardless of the language. One option is to start with the first letters of a familiar phrase. For example, "Mary had a little lamb" becomes Mhall, which could be part of a secure password.
- Mix it up! Use a combination of upper and lower case letters, numbers, and punctuation/special characters, such as &^$#.
- Keep it to yourself. Do not share your personal password with others. You never know what the future will bring in relationships or coworkers, so do not give your password out – to anyone.
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