Cybersecurity Awareness Month: Make every password its own.

The second Cybersecurity Awareness Month theme from the Digital Trust Hub is Make Every Password Its Own, built on a practical routine: Create. Save. Repeat. A strong, unique password for every account keeps one stolen password from putting several accounts at risk. Remembering a different password for every application is hard, so this week’s resources pair that advice with the tools and procedures that make it easier to follow.

Members received two sets of resources this week: one for staff and one for the technology department.

For staff

• A staff email template that explains why unique passwords matter and asks each employee to replace one reused password and save it in an approved password manager, in Word and Google Docs formats
• A flyer for staff spaces, newsletters and digital displays, with messaging that works all year
• Information sheets for Apple Passwords and Google Password Manager that explain how each tool works, how it protects saved passwords and how to get started

Each district adds its own approved password manager and help desk contacts to the staff email. Before sharing an information sheet, a district confirms that its approval statement, account requirements and setup steps match local practice.

For the technology department

• Three standard operating procedures that support the CIS Critical Security Controls for account and credential management: one for accounts, one for passwords and password managers, and one for username and password recovery
• An overview of enterprise password managers that explains how they help staff keep unique passwords while supporting district access management, account recovery and continuity

The procedures cover individual accounts, keeping personal and district credentials separate, access changes, offboarding, password requirements, approving and configuring password managers, accessible alternatives and consistent identity verification when staff, students or guardians need to recover an account. They are starting points that each department aligns with its own policy, systems and responsibilities.

Make the endorsement clear

Some employees hesitate to save passwords because they aren’t sure it’s allowed. This week’s action for technology departments is to remove that doubt: name the approved password manager and its settings, then give a brief demonstration of creating, saving and retrieving a password.

For districts considering an enterprise tool, Allegheny Intermediate Unit can help with adopting 1Password, for selected users or for all users, at discounted pricing. To learn more, contact the Hub team.

More themes follow each week through October.