Passwords and cloud storage

Using strong passwords can help keep you safe online when accessing:

• websites
• email and social media
• online banking
• your computer, smartphone or tablet

A 'strong password' is a password someone else won't find easy to guess or hack.

It's important that you update your passwords on a regular basis and never share them with anyone.

There are no fixed rules about creating a strong password.

Find advice on how to choose strong and separate passwords on the National Cyber Security Centre website.

You can find advice on what you should and shouldn't do on the Get Safe Online website.

You can also get help creating passwords using Norton Security's password generator.

It's important to have a unique password for each of your different logins. A password manager is a security tool that can help you make and save multiple passwords. This is normally an app on your phone, tablet or computer that helps to store your passwords securely, so that you do not need to remember them all.

You can find out more about password managers on the National Cyber Security Centre website.

2 Factor authentication

2 factor authentication is where you have to log into an account with a password and a code that's sent to your mobile phone or email address. You should switch this on for your online accounts.

You can find guidance on setting up 2-factor authentication on the National Cyber Security Centre website.

Telesign has up-to-date instructions on how to set up 2FA across popular online services such as Gmail, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Outlook.

What to do if a password has been hacked

If you think your password has been hacked, you should:

• change the password immediately
• report this to Police Scotland

The National Cyber Security Centre have a step-by-step guide to recovering an online account.

Cloud storage

'Cloud storage' is a way of storing your personal files on remote servers. Your files are then accessed using the internet.

If you use cloud storage, use a strong password and:

• check your service's terms and conditions, and privacy notice
• use privacy settings to restrict who can access your files
• check the security and availability of the service is right for your files

You can find more advice on cloud storage on the Information Commissioner's Office website.

You can protect your most important data, such as your photos and key documents, by backing them up to an external hard drive or a cloud-based storage system.

You can find guidance about backing up your data on the NCSC website.

Find out how to set up cloud storage on:

• Apple devices (iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch, and Mac)
• Google devices (Android)
• Microsoft devices (Windows 10)