Celebrate World Password Day on May 7 with one simple action that will help protect your identity and information from cyber threats: Create a strong, unique password for each of your online accounts.

Cybercriminals use sophisticated tactics and software to crack passwords. Protect yourself by avoiding weak passwords such as 123456789, password, and qwerty123 – these are among the most common passwords in 2026, according to Cyber News. Using one of these, or reusing passwords, is like locking your front door and leaving the key in the lock.

Lock down your online accounts – bank, credit card, email, social media, retail apps – with a strong, unique password for each one. Then, go a step further and activate multi-factor authentication (MFA) for each account. Even if cybercriminals steal your password, they won’t be able to access your account without the one-time code sent to your device or your biometric verification.

What you can do

Follow these four steps for your online accounts:

• Create strong, unique passwords.
  • Use this handout for tips to create strong passwords.
  • Create passwords that are at least 16 characters with upper- and lower-case letters, numbers, and special characters like punctuation.
  • Never reuse the same password or PIN for multiple accounts. If cybercriminals compromise one of your accounts, they can take over other accounts with the same password or PIN.
• Use a password manager to generate and store your passwords.
  • Read our passwords blog for password manager recommendations.
• Turn on MFA.
  • Use this handout to learn about MFA.
  • Also known as two-factor verification, MFA provides an extra security step that verifies your identity before granting access.
• Check if your email account has been involved in a data breach.
  • Visit the website haveibeenpwned.com and check your account.
  • If your email was involved in a data breach, change your email account password immediately. Then contact the affected companies for information, next steps, and to take advantage of any offer of free credit reports or freezes. 

Stay cyber smart to protect your identity, private information, and to keep your online accounts secure.