Attention: K-12 zone will be unavailable on September 29th & 30th for scheduled updates. Attention: La zone K-12 ne sera pas disponible les 29 et 30 septembre pour les mises à jour programmées.
As more services become available online, good password hygiene and practices are more necessary than ever. Where passwords are used, they should be strong and unique, while keeping user experience in mind, to help keep your services safe.
Passwords prevent unauthorized access. Passwords limit access to systems and information, ensuring that the right users have access to the right resources at the right time.
With single sign-on (SSO) becoming the norm, one password provides access to multiple services.
Your passwords or passphrases should be easy to remember but difficult to guess. A passphrase is the same as a password but consists of a sequence of words or other text that a user can more easily memorize. A passphrase is typically longer than a password, for added security. The terms "password" and “passphrase" are often used interchangeably.
Strong passwords and passphrases should always be balanced with user experience to avoid forcing users to write down their password/passphrase or pick an overly simple one that is easy to memorize.
Do use complex passwords or passphrases. Complexity helps thwart password crackers or brute force attacks that attempt to guess your password.
Do make sure your security questions for password resets are difficult to answer.
Do not share your password/passphrase with friends, colleagues, or even your manager. Your organization may also have rules against this.
Do not write down your passwords/passphrases.
Do not use ‘remember password’ or ‘remember me’ functions for systems, services, or software.
Do not create security questions that rely on information easily found on social media, such as a pet’s name or your date of birth.
Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) is authentication that uses two or more authentication factors. In other words, two or more pieces of evidence – your credentials – are required when logging into an account.
These credentials (or factors) fall into three categories:
Two-factor authentication (2FA) is a form of multi-factor authentication. These terms are often used synonymously.
To be considered MFA, each authentication factor must be from a different category.
Multi-Factor Authentication is proven to help you, your office network and the enterprise stay safer.
Multi-Factor Authentication is just as helpful in your non-work life. Service providers, including banking institutions and the Canada Revenue Agency, encourage you to set up MFA.
While it is not possible to stop all cybercrime, MFA does significantly reduce your chances of being a victim. Your information is safer because hackers would need all your authentication factors in order to log in as you. As some services offer a reset ability to regain access even to MFA-protected accounts, continue to exercise caution regarding unusual activity, unexpected changes to your account or the associated credentials, or access attempts.