Passwords and pins

Everything from your online bank account to Facebook needs a password.

Your passwords and PINs give you secure access to your online life.

Although using the same password for them all may seem like a good idea as it's easier to remember one password, it's much more secure to use a different password for all your important online accounts. This means that if someone finds out what one of your passwords is, not all your accounts are at risk.

It’s important to lock your device to keep your information secure. You should also activate your SIM PIN so that your SIM cannot be used in another device if it gets lost or stolen.

For more secure passwords and passcodes

Use longer passwords

The longer you make your password, the harder it is for someone to guess, or for a computer to crack.

Mix it up

Use a combination of capital and lower-case letters, numbers, and even symbols if your account lets you. The more varied your password is, the harder it is to guess.

Don't use obvious passwords

It may be easy for you to remember, but using  a sequence of numbers like 2222 or 1234, your birthday, or your pet's name as your password is just asking for trouble. Every man and his dog knows your pet's name. And you don't want every man and his dog to be able to guess your password.

Don't leave reminders lying around

If you do need help to remember your passwords, make sure you keep your reminders in a safe place.
Don't leave them written on Post-Its next to your desk. And if you keep them somewhere online, make sure they're well hidden.

Change your passwords regularly

Change your passwords regularly. If you do lose your phone or laptop, change your online passwords straight away.