Passphrases are the more secure version of passwords
Passphrases are made up of four or more random words, making them longer than a traditional password. This makes them harder to guess but easy to remember. Changing your passwords to a passphrase is a great way to improve your cybersecurity.
Before you try out passphrases, have you set up MFA?
Multifactor authentication (a combination of something you know, something you have or something you are) is an effective way to protect your accounts against unauthorised access. However, where multifactor authentication is not available, a strong passphrase is your best defence.
When you choose your passphrase, make it:
Long - The longer your passphrase, the better. Aim for at least 14 characters long. Four or more random words that you will remember is great. For example, ‘purple duck potato boat’.
Unpredictable - The less predictable your passphrase, the better. A good passphrase is made up of four or more random words. Sentences don't make great passphrases, as they can be easier to guess. For example, it is predictable to have spaces between words, a capital letter at the beginning and punctuation at the end. Using a mix of random words is far more unpredictable and makes stronger passphrases.
Unique - Don’t recycle your passphrases. Use different passphrases for different accounts. Your Facebook password should be different to your email password and so on.