It was reported this week that social media accounts belonging to Mark Zuckerberg, had been hacked. The group that claimed responsibility apparently suggested that the Facebook founder had reused the same password for more than one account, leaving him more vulnerable to cyber-attack.
Whether or not this is true, there is no doubt that good password practice is vital to avoid embarrassment and reputational damage. This is even more important if the information at stake includes sensitive healthcare or financial data which is especially prized by criminals and identity fraudsters.
Internet security experts recommend using different passwords for different services so that one breach doesn’t compromise all your accounts. It’s also vital to change passwords regularly so you are not a sitting duck.
In line with this approach, Healthcode insists that users must have their own log-in ID and password to access our online services. We also prompt users to change their password every 90 days and we lock accounts if they are not accessed for 90 days (these can be unlocked by our customer service team).
And in turn we ask you to:
- Create passwords which are more secure, utilising longer combinations of letters, numbers and characters.
- Keep all your passwords and user details confidential.
- Tell us immediately if you believe your password or username has been discovered and follow our instructions.
- Never leaving your terminal unattended while logged onto Healthcode