Word’s out ahead of World Password Day

ID Support NSW is urging people to routinely change their password as frequently as they change their toothbrush this year which is every three to four months.

A hacker can break a password in just two seconds if it is seven characters long and doesn’t use any numbers or special characters, but a password which is 18 characters long and uses a mix of numbers, symbols and upper and lower-case letters would take 438 trillion years to break.

ID Support NSW will host an online webinar on 7 May which will show people have to manage many different passwords, how to choose a strong one and the consequences of not changing a password.

The presentation will include an AUSLAN interpreter for viewers with a hearing impairment.

The team will also host a Keeping your Identity Safe Presentation at the Liverpool City Library in person on 7 May.

Community cybersecurity and privacy training to build digital literacy skills and help keep people safe online is a key pillar of the NSW Digital Inclusion Strategy, which is designed to address the challenges faced by vulnerable and disadvantaged communities when interacting online.

ID Support NSW’s password hot tips for World Password Day:

• Avoid pet or family names, important dates and other identifying information.
• Use nonsense phrases that you can remember to improve length and complexity. Old passwords are outdated, and passphrases are the new standard for security.
• Add in spaces, change letters to numbers and other similar tricks to create something that hackers cannot guess.
• It is commonly thought that special characters always make passwords stronger. While it’s a great idea to use them, it’s the password length and randomness that are more important. A long, unpredictable passphrase is more secure than a short, complex one.

ID Support NSW also has a number of resources, tips and tools available to help people remain safe online which can be accessed anytime on the Be prepared page.

Tools include the Password Strength Tester which can help people develop new passwords for their accounts.

With just a few clicks, the Password Strength Tester allows anyone to input a potential password to test how difficult it is to hack, and assesses if the password has already been breached, leaked, or at risk of being stolen.

If anyone believes their identity may have been stolen, ID Support NSW provides people with a single front-door and will work with them to help restore their documents and security of their identity.

ID Support NSW encourages customers to avoid saving their log in credentials or passwords unless they had a trusted password manager system.

For more information on the webinar, visit the World Password Day webinar event page.

Information about other ID Support NSW events, as well how to book a local ID Support NSW assistance event, is available on the ID Support NSW events page.

Further information on how to protect personal information online, as well as other cybersecurity tips, is available on the ID Support NSW hub.

The NSW Digital Inclusion Strategy and Password Strength Tester are also available online.

Quotes attributable to NSW Chief Cyber Security Officer, Marie Patane:

“One in four Australians will become a victim to some form of identity theft in their lifetime and it’s important people continue to update passwords as a defence against scammers.”

“Password fatigue can be a very real thing whether it’s by remembering new ones, changing old ones or having a list of different ones to recall but ID Support NSW has plenty of guidance to make sure security like this isn’t a burden.”

“For anyone who feels they have been the victim of a scam, had their information stolen or is seeking guidance as to what to do next, please contact ID Support NSW for help.”