Embracing Your First Line of Defense to Stay Cyber SMART
Did you know? A strong password is one of the simplest ways to help protect your accounts, information, and digital life.
That’s why passwords are the first focus of Stay Cyber SMART, the State of North Dakota’s cybersecurity awareness campaign. Strong passwords help protect everything from email and finances to work accounts, devices, and personal information.
Our SMART acronym makes the basics easy to remember:
- Set strong, unique passwords.
- Make multifactor authentication a habit.
- Avoid risky links, attachments, and senders.
- Regularly update software and devices.
- Take care with personal information.
What Makes a Strong Password?
A strong password should be:
- Long
- Unique
- Unpredictable
Long
Aim for at least 15 characters, using a mix of capitalized and lowercased letters, as well as numbers and special characters. You can even consider using a passphrase that’s easy for you to remember but difficult for someone else to guess. For example, “Medora_26_Was_the_Best_ND_Summer_EVER!”
Unique
Using a different password for every account is a must—because reusing passwords creates a domino effect if one account is compromised. If an attacker gets your password from one breached service, they may try it on your email, social media, banking, or other accounts.
Unpredictable
Avoid passwords based on information someone could easily discover about you, such as:
- Names of family members, pets, or friends.
- Birthdays and anniversaries.
- Hometowns or addresses.
- Favorite sports teams.
- Common words or phrases.
- Company or organization names.
- Simple patterns such as “Password1!” or “Summer2026!”
Also, remember to never enter your passwords or other authentication information into an artificial intelligence tool. Treat your credentials as sensitive information—because they are.
When Should You Change Your Password?
You don’t need to change a strong password simply because a certain amount of time has passed. Instead, change it when there’s a reason to believe it may have been compromised, such as if:
- Your information was involved in a data breach.
- You accidentally shared your password.
- You suspect someone accessed your account.
- You received an alert about suspicious activity.
- You discover you’re using the same password on another account.
When you change the compromised password, be sure to choose a completely new one. Simply going from “Password1!” to “Password2!” doesn’t pass the smell test!
Consider a Password Manager
Remembering a different, strong password for every account can be challenging. A reputable password manager can help.
Password managers can:
- Generate strong, random passwords.
- Securely store your passwords.
- Help you use a unique password for every account.
- Alert you when saved credentials may have been exposed in a known data breach.
Note: If a password manager alerts you that a password has been compromised, change it promptly. And make sure your master password is especially strong and unique.
Put Your Passwords to the Test
Take a quick look at the passwords you use. Ask yourself:
- Do I reuse passwords across multiple accounts?
- Are any of my passwords shorter than 15 characters?
- Are my passwords based on information someone could easily guess?
- Have I kept a password even though I suspect an account may have been compromised?
If you answered yes to any of these, it’s a good time to make a change.
Remember: Long. Unique. Unpredictable.
These strong password habits will go a long way toward protecting your accounts and information.
Stay safe. Stay secure. And as always—Stay Cyber SMART.
