When to update your password, and how often?
Saturday, April 18th, 2026
When should I change my password, and why should I change my password?
You should change your password immediately if one of the following happens:
- You were informed by an institution of a data breach.
- You clicked on something you should not have clicked on.
- You use the same or frequent passwords for other businesses/logins.
- You gave someone your password to log in.
- You noticed something suspicious.
So, that leads us to the next question. How do I make a “secure” password? There are a few rules to follow, and the #1 rule is do not use anything that would be personally attached, including your anniversary, your birthdate, your address, your pet’s name, and so on. A good rule of thumb for a strong password is keeping these words in your mind: long (16+ characters), random, and unique. Use a combination of lower-case and upper-case letters, numbers, and symbols. Do not create a password pattern or duplicate a password. If you want a password that is complex but easy to remember, use a passphrase. A passphrase is easier to remember, easier to make longer, and typically more secure. Again, do not use words that you are personally associated with.
Also, if given the option, you should opt to enable 2FA (2 Factor Authentication) or MFA (multi-factor authentication). You can also use a password manager such as Bitwarden. Think of Bitwarden as a vault that very securely keeps all of your passwords. Just make sure your password for Bitwarden is very secure.
An example of a good password would be Jrt*48sN!2DcvB3
An example of a good passphrase would be unkind-chooser2-direness-absurd-liable-cheesy@
An example of a bad password would be JaneDoe1970
We hope that you found this helpful, and as a friendly reminder, never share your passwords with someone you do not completely trust!
