6 tips to create secure passwords to protect your accounts

PROTECT WHAT MATTERS

When it comes to the security of your personal information, a strong password is one of the best defenses.

Our online accounts contain lots of private information—from bank account numbers, to personal addresses, and birthdates. So it’s important to create secure passwords to help protect yourself from fraudsters and keep your mind at ease. 

Use these tips to create strong passwords that will help keep your accounts and personal information safe.

Tip 1: Make your passwords complex 

When it comes to passwords, the more complex they are, the better. Passwords should be longer than eight characters and contain a variety of letters (both uppercase and lowercase), numbers, and special characters to make them much harder to guess. Avoid easily guessed details from your life, like your kids’ names, pets’ names, your birthday, where you’re from, etc.

Don't follow the crowd. These are the top 5 most common passwords.

  • 123456
  • password
  • 12345
  • 123456789
  • abc123

Source "Are We Still Lazy With Our Passwords?
The 2021 top 200 Most Common Passwords List Is Here" NordPass, November, 2021

Tip 2: Don’t recycle passwords

Every online account should have its own totally unique, complex password. This means "Fido1" and "Fido2" wouldn't be the most secure options. Reusing passwords or only changing one small part can make it easier for a hacker to access multiple accounts.

Tip 3: Use a password manager

Password managers can take the guess-work out of password security by automatically generating and storing all of your passwords in single, secure app. Password managers can work across all of your devices—making it easy to sign into your accounts whether you're on your phone, computer, or tablet. 

Tip 4: Turn on multi-factor authentication

Multi-factor authentication (MFA) adds an extra layer of protection by requiring additional verification information when you're signing in. An example of MFA could be a site requesting a one-time passcode sent to your phone or maybe asking you to answer a personal security question. 

Tip 5: Make sure your current passwords are safe

Tools like Mozilla’s Firefox Monitor, Google’s Password Checkup, or Have I Been Pwned can show you which of your email addresses and passwords have been compromised, so you can know which passwords to update first. And if you ever get an alert of a data breach from any of your online accounts, make sure you update your password right away.

Now that you've created strong passwords, it's important to keep them safe. If you're ever contacted and asked for personal information, verify the request before sharing anything. Most organizations, including Truist, will never contact you to ask for your password. Keep an eye out for phishing attempts like suspicious email links or websites asking for your passwords or personal information that could be used to guess passwords.

Tip 6: Protect your passwords

intended message placeholder

27% of Americans

have tried to guess someone else's password

17% of them

guessed correctly

Source: "The United States of Passwords", Google/Harris Poll, October 2019

Has your password been compromised? Here's what to do:

  1. Change your password immediately. Use the tips above to create a secure and unique password. If you're locked out of your account, contact the company's customer service or reset your password using the "forgot password" option.
  2. Assess your other accounts. If you’re using the compromised password on other accounts, change those right away, too.
  3. Keep an eye on your financial accounts and credit activity. Even if the stolen password wasn’t for a financial account, a fraudster could gain access to sensitive information like credit and debit card numbers that could be used to make fraudulent purchases. Monitor your financial accounts and credit reports and report any suspicious activity.

If you believe your account security has been compromised or have any concerns, call us immediately at 844-4TRUIST (844-487-8478).

Learn more about how Truist protects your accounts and get more helpful tips on steps you can take to protect yourself from fraudsters. 

This content does not constitute legal, tax, accounting, financial, or investment advice. You are encouraged to consult with competent legal, tax, accounting, financial, or investment professionals based on your specific circumstances. We do not make any warranties as to accuracy or completeness of this information, do not endorse any third-party companies, products, or services described here, and take no liability for your use of this information.

Related resources

Component ID : "accordionGridLayout-1624256768"
Model : "disclaimer"
Position : "left"

1 Study Reveals Average Person Has 100 Passwords,” Tech.co, November 9, 2021.

2 "Are We Still Lazy With Our Passwords? The 2021 Top 200 Most Common Passwords List is Here,” NordPass, November 23, 2021.

3 "The United States of Passwords,” Google/Harris Poll, October 2019.

4 "Microsoft: Using multi-factor authentication blocks 99.9% of account hacks,” ZDNet, August 26, 2019.

Disclosures

Truist Bank, Member FDIC. © 2025 Truist Financial Corporation. Truist, the Truist logo, Truist Purple, LightStream, and the LightStream logo are service marks of Truist Financial Corporation.

Equal Housing Lender

Investment and Insurance Products:

  • Are Not FDIC or any other Government Agency Insured
  • Are Not Bank Guaranteed
  • May Lose Value

TRUIST is a service mark of Truist Financial Corporation (Truist) and its affiliates.

Services provided by Truist Financial Corporation (Truist) affiliates: Banking products and services, including loans and deposit accounts, provided by Truist Bank, Member FDIC. Trust and investment management services provided by Truist Bank. Securities, brokerage accounts and /or annuities offered by Truist Investment Services, Inc., an SEC registered broker-dealer, and member FINRA and SIPC, and a licensed insurance agency. Investment advisory services offered by Truist Advisory Services, Inc. and GFO Advisory Services, LLC, SEC registered investment advisers. Some insurance products offered by Truist Investment Services, Inc. Other insurance products offered by McGriff Insurance Services, LLC (McGriff), Kensington Vanguard National Land Services, LLC (Kensington Vanguard) and Crump Life Insurance Services, LLC (Crump). Truist Life Insurance Services (TLIS) is a division of Crump, Arkansas License #100103477. Variable insurance material is for broker-dealer or registered representative use only. Variable products distributed by P.J. Robb Variable (PJRV), LLC, Arkansas License #100110185. Member FINRA.

McGriff, Kensington Vanguard, Crump, TLIS, and PJRV are not affiliated with Truist Financial Corporation or any of its subsidiaries.

Truist Securities is a trademark of Truist Financial Corporation. Truist Securities is a trade name for the corporate and investment banking services of Truist and its subsidiaries. All rights reserved. Securities and strategic advisory services are provided by Truist Securities, Inc., member FINRA and SIPC. Lending, financial risk management, and treasury management and payment services are offered by Truist Bank.

Mortgage products and services are offered through Truist Bank. All Truist mortgage professionals are registered on the Nationwide Mortgage Licensing System & Registry (NMLS), which promotes uniformity and transparency throughout the residential real estate industry. Search the NMLS Registry.

Comments regarding tax implications are informational only. Truist and its representatives do not provide tax or legal advice. You should consult your individual tax or legal professional before taking any action that may have tax or legal consequences.

"Truist Advisors" may be officers and/or associated persons of the following affiliates of Truist, Truist Investment Services, Inc., and/or Truist Advisory Services, Inc. Truist Wealth, International Wealth, Center for Family Legacy, Business Owner Specialty Group, Sports and Entertainment Group, and Legal and Medical Specialty Groups are trade names used by Truist Bank, Truist Investment Services, Inc., and Truist Advisory Services, Inc.

Applications, agreements, disclosures, and other servicing communications provided by Truist Bank and its subsidiary businesses will be provided in English. As a result, it will be necessary for customers to speak, read and understand English or to have an appropriate translator assisting them. Please note that Truist provides translations of webpages, documents and disclosures as a courtesy and in the event of any inconsistencies or discrepancies between the English content and the translated content, the English content supersedes the translation. Truist offers phone support in Spanish at 844-4TRUIST (844-487-8478), option 9. For assistance in other languages, please speak to a representative directly.

New York City residents:

Translation or other language access services may be available. When calling our office regarding collection activity, if you speak a language other than English and need verbal translation services, be sure to inform the representative. A description and translation of commonly-used debt collection terms is available in multiple languages at http://www.nyc.gov/dca.

Borrowers with Limited English Proficiency (LEP) needing information can use the following resources:

The Consumer Finance Protection Bureau (CFPB) also provides additional resources for homeowners seeking payment assistance in select languages at: https://www.consumerfinance.gov/housing/housing-insecurity/help-for-homeowners/

Site footer

Footer Navigation

Banking products
About Truist
Resources
Support

© 2025, Truist. All Rights Reserved.