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A password is a sequence of letters, numbers and special characters used to gain access to a programme or system. A passphrase is similar to a password, but is generally a sequence of words and therefore longer in length.
To ensure your online safety, you should always use your own login credentials. Never share your login credentials or use generic logins used by others.
Note
Did you know that contrary to its name, a password does not have to be an actual word? A mixture of letters, numbers, and special characters are best
Should I use a password or passphrase?
Either can be used.
Passwords should be at least 8 characters long, a mixture of upper and lower case letters and include some numbers and special characters too. E.g. Exampl3P455w0rd!
Passphrases can be three or four random words that have no correlation to each other. They can be generated online using a passphrase generator, or entirely made up by you (however they should not be too obvious and personal to you).
Please be aware that Alto passwords cannot contain spaces, and have to contain at least:
- A minimum of 8 characters
- An uppercase character
- A lowercase character
- A number
- A special character (exclamation point etc)
So if you are using a passphrase, you will need to take this into consideration. E.g. Yellow!WaterfallToboggan3Tree
Note
Alto passwords are case sensitive so ensure that your caps lock is off (if needed!)
How can I ensure my password, or passphrase, is secure?
One way to ensure that your password, or passphrase, is secure on Alto is to use different passwords for each site that you visit. If someone gains unlawful access to your Alto account, ask yourself what other data they can access using the same information on a different site.
You can also use a password management tool (the Chrome browser will do this for you) but be aware that if someone has access to your computer, this might not be the best way to keep track of your passwords.