Kitchener, ON - Better Business Bureau (BBB) and Global Payments Canada are proud to present the second annual National Password Day, on March 15, 2017. This initiative, part of National Fraud Prevention Month, is an opportunity to remind businesses and consumers of the importance of password security.
Passwords are an integral part of our digital lives, helping to secure important personal and financial information. As an advocate for businesses and consumers, BBB is pleased to once again partner with industry stakeholder Global Payments Canada, a leading payments technology provider, to help inform and educate the public on the importance of password security and best practices.
“March is a great month to raise awareness of this campaign,” said Jeanette Jackson, Director of Communications & Strategic Partnerships for BBB serving Mainland BC. “As part of the Competition Bureau’s National Fraud Prevention Month, the BBB is pleased to provide a forum through which to increase security awareness.”
“Passwords can help ensure the security and confidentiality of data, making password security an important issue for consumers and businesses alike”, said Jeff McGuire, Senior Vice President, Product Development & Marketing for Global Payments Canada. “We are pleased to work with the Better Business Bureau, particularly during National Fraud Awareness Month, to share key password security best practices and contribute to public awareness and education on this important topic.”
On Wednesday, March 15, BBB and Global Payments encourage you to celebrate National Password Day by scheduling 30 minutes to update your passwords across bank accounts, social networks, email accounts and even point-of-sale (POS) equipment. Select strong passwords that are difficult to guess and vary across your many accounts. Change passwords frequently – experts recommend two to three times a year at minimum – and be sure to never share your passwords with anyone. A password manager may also assist with password security, as it remembers your strong passwords, so you don’t have to.
“This is also an opportunity to remind your children the importance of password security and instill good habits at a young age,” adds Jackson. “Teaching them not to share passwords with friends at school and even making changing passwords a family event can keep them interested and more secure as they grow and open their own accounts whether it be banking or online games.”
Important tips: Make your password tough to decipher
- Use at least 12 characters
- Use upper and lower case letters, numbers and symbols
- Avoid words found in the dictionary
- Avoid using family names
To learn more, including additional password security best practices, be sure to follow BBB serving Central Ontario on Facebook and Twitter. #bbbpasswordday www.bbb.org/kitchener
Media Contacts:
Emma Borski, Communications Coordinator
BBB Serving Central Ontario
(519) 579 - 3080
emma@mwco.bbb.org
903 - 30 Duke St W
Kitchener, ON
N2H 3W5
Amy Corn
Media Relations for Global Payments
770-829-8755
media.relations@globalpay.com
www.globalpaymentsinc.com/canada
About BBB:
For more than 100 years, Better Business Bureau has been helping people find businesses and brands they can trust. In 2016, people turned to BBB more than 165 million times for BBB Business Reviews, all available for free at bbb.org.
About Global Payments:
Global Payments Inc. (NYSE: GPN) is a leading worldwide provider of payment technology services that delivers innovative solutions driven by customer needs globally. Our technologies, partnerships and employee expertise enable us to provide a broad range of products and services that allow our customers to accept all payment types across a variety of distribution channels in many markets around the world.
Headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia with approximately 4,500 employees worldwide, Global Payments is a Fortune 1000 Company with merchants and partners in 29 countries throughout North America, Europe, the Asia-Pacific region and Brazil. For more information about Global Payments, our Service. Driven. Commerce brand and our technologies, please visit www.globalpaymentsinc.com.
