Password & Account Security

Strong Passwords Are Your First Line of Defense.

Your passwords protect access to your financial accounts, email, social media, shopping accounts, and personal information. If a criminal obtains one of your passwords, they may attempt to access other accounts using the same credentials.

Taking a few simple steps can significantly improve your account security.

Create strong, unique passwords

A strong password should be difficult for someone else to guess.

Consider these practices:

  • Use long passwords or passphrases.
  • Avoid using names, birthdays, addresses, or other easily discovered information.
  • Never reuse the same password across multiple accounts.
  • Avoid simple patterns such as Password123 or 12345678.
  • Consider using a reputable password manager to generate and securely store passwords.

A unique password for each account helps prevent one compromised password from exposing multiple accounts.

Enable multifactor authentication (MFA)

Multifactor authentication adds another layer of protection beyond your password.

Depending on the service, you may be asked to:

  • Enter a one-time verification code.
  • Approve a sign-in through an authentication application.
  • Use a security key.
  • Confirm your identity using another approved method.

Enable MFA wherever it is available, especially for email, financial accounts, and other important services.

Never share a one-time verification code with someone who contacts you unexpectedly. A scammer may use that code to gain access to your account.

Protect your email account

Your email account is especially important because it may be used to reset passwords for other accounts.

To protect it:

  • Use a unique, strong password.
  • Enable multifactor authentication.
  • Review account recovery information.
  • Watch for unexpected password-reset notifications.
  • Never approve sign-in requests you did not initiate.

Watch for suspicious account activity

Pay attention to:

  • Unexpected password-reset emails.
  • Notifications about unfamiliar sign-ins.
  • Changes to your account recovery information.
  • Unrecognized transactions or account activity.
  • Unexpected MFA approval requests.

If something doesn’t look right, investigate immediately.

What should you do if your password is compromised?

  1. Change the affected password immediately.
  2. Change the same password anywhere else you may have reused it.
  3. Sign out of other active sessions if the service provides that option.
  4. Enable or review MFA.
  5. Check account recovery settings for unauthorized changes.
  6. Contact your financial institution if banking credentials may have been exposed.

Remember

Use a different password for every important account, enable MFA, and never share your security codes.

Your password is personal. Keep it that way.