Passwords are important if you want to keep your information safe.
Here are some simple ways to secure your accounts through better password practices:

1. Create a strong password:
   Make passwords long and strong, with a mix of uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers and symbols. Change them routinely and keep them private.
2. Passphrases: Make your password a sentence:
   A strong password is a sentence that is at least 12 characters long. Focus on positive sentences or phrases that you like to think about and are easy to remember. For examples on how to create this – view the videos below.
3. Unique account, unique password:
   Have a separate password for every account. Re-using passwords is risky. If someone figures out your password for one account, that person could potentially gain access to all of them.

Spear phishing is a specialized email attack against a specific target or small group of targets to collect information or gain access to systems. Cyber criminals have become quite savvy and often direct users to visit a website where they are asked to provide their account information, passwords, credit card information or other forms of personally identifiable information. The emails they send can look just like it comes from a University staff member, or any other service or business.

It often urges you to act quickly, because your account has been compromised. Recent phishing emails have included subject lines such as Email Maintenance Today and Unsubscribe opt-in leads.

How can I identify phishing emails?

• Read all communications carefully and look for:
• Unofficial or odd “From” address
• Urgent action required
• Links to a fake or odd website
• Misspellings or incorrect grammar

What should I do if I receive these?

• Do not click on any links contained in them.
• Do not open the email attachment.
• Please forward the phishing attempt to our IT Security office at infosec@scranton.edu.