CONTACT NETELLIGENT
Course Content
Orientation
This course teaches employees how to create and manage strong, unique passwords to protect business accounts and data from unauthorized access. Participants learn best practices for building complex passwords, using password managers safely, and avoiding common mistakes like reuse or weak patterns. Understanding the importance of strong passwords helps reduce the risk of cyberattacks and data breaches caused by compromised credentials.
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Orientation Module | Welcome
00:07
Orientation Module | Learning on the platform
Introduction to Cybersecurity Awareness
Explaining why cybersecurity matters and how every employee plays a role.
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Lesson Overview
The Reality of Today’s Digital World
The Value of Information
The Human Factor
Everyone Has a Role to Play
Introduction to Cyber Security Awareness
Passwords and Authentication
A strong password is one that is difficult for others — and even automated tools — to guess or crack. It should be at least 12 characters long and include a mix of uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and special symbols (like !, @, or #). Avoid using personal information such as names, birthdays, or common words, as these can be easily discovered through social media or brute-force attacks. Instead, create passwords using random combinations of unrelated words or phrases — for example, “Coffee!Tree4Ocean.” Password managers can also help by securely generating and storing complex passwords for each account. The key to password security is uniqueness: never reuse the same password across multiple systems.
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Lesson 1: Why Passwords Matter
Lesson 2: How to Create a Strong Password
Lesson 3: Password Managers and Frequency of Changing Passwords
Lesson 4: Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)
Lesson 5: Common Password Mistakes to Avoid
Password Quiz
Phishing and Email Threats
Phishing is a type of social-engineering attack where criminals pretend to be a trusted person or organisation to trick you into revealing sensitive information. This is a very common type of cyber-attack in today's world. As we go through this module we will learn how to identify and mitigate phishing attacks.
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What is phishing?
Social Engineering
Malware, Viruses & Ransomware
Safe Internet & Device Usage
Data Protection and Privacy
Physical Security
Protected: Security Awareness Training

Welcome to your second lesson on Passwords!

 

The focus of this lesson is to determine how to construct a strong password and what the characteristics of strong and weak passwords

.
What are the variables of a password?

  1. Length
  2. Complexity
  3. Unpredictability 


We are going to explore examples of weak vs strong passwords and how attackers use brute force and social engineering to guess simple ones.

 

What makes a password strong?

A strong password is primarily about length and unpredictability. Aim for at least 12 characters or a 3–4 word passphrase made from unrelated words. Longer passwords increase the number of possible combinations exponentially, making brute-force attacks far less practical.

Complexity (mixing uppercase, lowercase, numbers and symbols) helps, but a long, unpredictable passphrase is often both stronger and easier to remember than a short string of random characters.


Avoid these password Traps!

  1. Avoid using personal information (names, birthdays)
  2. Avoid using common words like (“Password”, “Hello”)
  3. Avoid keyboard sequences such as 123456 or qwerty
  4. Avoid common substitutions such as (“P@ssword”)

 

Examples of passwords:

  • Weak: Password123, qwerty, john1985

  • Fair: Summer2025!, red-bike-apple-17

  • Strong: T1mber&H0rse$Sk8, correct horse battery staple, Coffee$Tree4Ocean

 

The checklist to make a strong password!:

  • Use 12+ characters or a 3–4 word passphrase.

  • Avoid personal info, common words, and predictable patterns.

  • Use a unique password for every account.

  • Store passwords in a trusted password manager.

  • Enable MFA on email, finance, admin, and other critical services.

  •  

Reference: Safety in Canada. (n.d.). How to Create a Strong Password. YouTube

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