World Password Day is marked each year on the first Thursday in May – i.e. May 7th this year – to raise awareness of the importance of using strong Passwords to keep your personal online details safe and secure.

With the increasing occurrences of online security threats, and the opportunities to steal your identity, creating strong and diverse passwords is essential. You would not leave your house unlocked, or leave the key under a flowerpot, so in the same way your passwords are the key to all your online accounts and need to be secure.

So, what better time to check out your online accounts and make sure your passwords are strong and secure to keep you and your personal information safe online and update them regularlry.

4 simple password management tips

· Use strong passwords - the longer the better but at least 12 characters – these should be a mix of letters, numbers and symbols and the use of 3 random words can also create a stronger password which can be made more complex by adding numbers or symbols. Birthdays, family and pet names or your football team names are too obvious and should never be used.

· Use unique Passwords for each account – whilst the easy way is to use the same password for multiple accounts, you are only making the criminals work easier since once account is hacked, they have access to any other accounts with the same password.

· Use two factor authentication - where available use this tool to confirm that you are really you. This is usually shown as 2FA – 2 Factor Authentication, 2SV – 2 Step Verification or MFA – Multi Factor Authentication. The site you are logging into will send you a PIN by email or text which you need to enter in order to gain access.

· Never share your Passwords - it may sound obvious, but do not share your email or any other passwords with anybody else, however reliable or trustworthy you believe them to be.

You can check the strength of your Passwords at https://www.security.org/how-secure-is-my-password/

If you cannot remember all those passwords, then you’re in good company … most people can’t. Use a reputable password manager which not only stores all your passwords in one place but can also help you set up secure passwords that are difficult to guess or crack.

Please feel free to share these messages with your relatives, friends or neighbours, especially anyone who may be more vulnerable.

-If you have fallen for a fraud,

Report it to Report Fraud (formerly known as ACTION FRAUD) on 0300 123 2040 or via reportfraud.police.uk

Scam Text messages can be forwarded to 7726 to help phone providers take prompt action and block numbers that generate spam on their networks. You can also report Scam mobile calls by texting 7726 with the word “Call” followed by the fraudulent caller’s phone number.

Forward Fake Emails received toreport@phishing.gov.uk

If you think your bank account or personal banking details have been used fraudulently, then use the short phone number - 159 - to contact the Fraud Prevention Department of most major UK banks.