Welcome to ‘Compliance Corner.’ Every month, Nova Medical Centers‘ employees can find helpful reminders and useful tips to maintain quality standards across a variety of categories. Not an employee of Nova? That’s okay! These tips are helpful for anyone! This month we’re talking about password security. How confident are you in the strength of your passwords?
Password, do I really need it? Yes you do. Passwords provide the first line of defense against unauthorized access to your computer and electronic protected health information (ePHI). Can I use my pet’s name as my password? This is not a good idea. The stronger your password the more protected your computer will be from malicious software and provide more appropriate ID authentication. Securing ePHI is only as strong as its weakest link. As such, Nova workforce members are required to create strong passwords.
Here are some tips that can help you create a strong password:
- It is at least eight characters long
- It does not contain your user name, real name, or company
- It does not contain a complete word
- It is significantly different from previous passwords
- It should be a combination of numbers, symbols, uppercase and lowercase letters
- Use phrases to help you create passwords
- It should never be shared with others
EXAMPLES
Strong passwords:
My Son’s Birthday is 12 December 2004 = Msbi12/Dec.4 or Mi$unB-day121204
2014 Summer vacation in New York = NYCsum-Vaca14 or 14Vaca@NYC
Weak passwords:
Hello to You = Hello2U instead try: H3lloToo-U
I love You = IluvU instead try: !l-u-vU
For additional guidance on Nova password requirements and ID Authentication, please be sure to review our Corporate Compliance Policy: CC-0708 Authentication and Password Management.
