If you're like most people, you probably have passwords that are easy to remember or use the same one for multiple accounts. But by doing either of these, you could be putting yourself at risk to cyberattacks. To ensure the security of your online accounts, follow the latest password guidelines from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), which we’ve outlined for you in this blog.

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) created many of the password best practices you probably loathe, including using a combination of letters, numbers, and special characters. The NIST now says those guidelines were ill-advised and has changed its stance.

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) once said that a good password consisted of three things: upper- and lowercase letter, numbers, and symbols. However, the NIST recently reversed its stance on good passwords. Here's why and what they are now recommending.

A password policy designed for federal agencies must be secure, right? Surprisingly, that hasn’t been the case, according to the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). The NIST created many of the password best practices you probably loathe — the combination of letters, numbers, and special characters — but it now says those guidelines were misguided and has changed its stance on the matter.

In 2003, a manager at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) authored a document on password best practices for businesses, federal agencies, and academic institutions. Now retired, the author admits that his document was misguided.