Creating a complex password is first step in protecting information

Here are some password FAQs from Tareva Palmer, WVU Medicine chief information security officer:

What's an example of a strong password?

A password like "Enjoytanger1ne$" is strong since it has 15 characters, and contains upper and lowercase characters, numbers, and special characters.

Why are complex passwords necessary?

Complex passwords keep cyber criminals from using programs to figure them out. A criminal can use an automated program to guess user IDs and simple passwords. If successful, the criminal can gain access to all of the information that employees have access to and can modify that information. Avoid common passwords like "Winter2016" or "Password123". These are simple passwords that almost anyone could guess.

Who wants to access WVU Medicine information and how could they benefit?

Criminals could be individuals or organizations. Criminals want information for identity theft and larger organizations want to steal intellectual property, such as research information that WVU Medicine providers and clinical teams have worked hard to develop.