Safe handling of passwords

Changing your password regularly: what a hassle right? Before you know it, you can't remember your new password later on, or you don't have any inspiration while thinking of a a new password. We recognize it! Therefore, we have collected some tips to help you. Still need help or do you have an idea as well and like to share it with us? Please contact us!

OUR ADVICE

• Don’t do this when you’re in a rush, but take your time to do it right. Our advice: set a reminder in Outlook that will remind you to change your password again in six months.
• Make sure you have all the devices with you on which you are logged on with your Solis-ID in some way. For instance, devices that have access to Eduroam, but also devices on which you read your mail or check your calendar such as your mobile phone or tablet.
• Change your password from a laptop or computer with internet connection.

PASSWORD OR PASSPHRASE TIPS

Thinking of a secure password can be hard. Difficult to hack, easy to remember and not identical for all your accounts: if you use the tips below it should make it a bit easier:

• Replace certain letters with certain symbols. For instance, a 3 can be an E, a 0 can be an O and a 4 can be an A. However, because hackers sometimes use these replacements in their scripts, it is even better to use a non-standard replacement. An O can become () for example.
• Make a combination of two (or more) unrelated words. If you separate these with a symbol and use the letter-symbol replacement, you have an easy to remember, but strong password. Example: Cat and Computer becomes C4t#C()mPut3R
• Think of an easy to remember sentence and abbreviate it to at least eight characters. The sentence ‘Would you like milk in your tea, sir?’ can become ‘wylmiyts?’. Then apply the letter-symbol replacement and add capitals and symbols: WyLm1yT$?
  A long sentence of 16 characters or more is also very strong, but only if you use some special symbols.
• Add two letters to give each website a different password. It is important that you don’t use the same password for each website, but it is also difficult to remember 50 different passwords. You could add a letter before and after your secure password that refer to a specific website. Using the password above, the Facebook password could be: fWyLm1yT$?b

The aforementioned passwords are only examples. Do not use these as your own. Simply use these tips to create your own strong password. You could also combine these tips.

• Create categories for important and less important accounts. Email is more important than a subscription to a newsletter. Divide your passwords into three categories: very important (secure information), important and less important. The more secure the information, the stronger your password needs to be.
• Don’t use the same passwords for your university and your private accounts. This prevents internet criminals from having access to all your accounts – including the university’s – in case of a hack.

Want to check if your password is strong enough? Test it at https://password.kaspersky.com.

​​Folow the steps in the manual to change your password.

With the tips mentioned above, it should now be easier to think of a password that is secure and easy to remember. In any case, a tool to help you can be helpful. Password managers are handy programs for storing passwords safely (in ecrypted form). They are available as software, as an app for you tablet or smartphone, and as a web application. Some tools can also synchronise your encrypted passwords between several devices (PC, tablet, telephone, for example).

Some examples of password managers:

• KeePass (free)
• LastPass (partially free)
• 1Password (payed)
• Dashlane (free or payed)

Need help on how to choose or set up your password manager? The IT Service Desk is here to advice you. 

You can use your Solis-id and your private email address to restore your password.