7 password rules security experts live by in 2025 - the last one might surprise you

Valeriia Mitriakova/Getty Images Looking for advice on how to protect your home and office from cyberattacks? A good place to start is with the people who do this work every day on behalf of the US government. The folks at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have created a simple Cybersecurity Basics page that boils down the technical information in its four-volume Digital Identity Guidelines to a set of clear guidelines for small business owners and managers. The most recent guidelines were published in August 2024, and the agency is currently sifting through thousands of comments from security-minded professionals offering suggestions for the next edition. Also: I clicked on four sneaky online scams on purpose - to show you how they work (For those who are willing to dive into the full report, you'll find some good advice for IT pros and service providers in the "Passwords" section of Appendix A. This content will be especially helpful if you are trying to c ... Read full article.