1. Have a Variety of Passwords

As tempting as it may be, try to not use the same password for multiple things. Varying passwords will limit the risk of someone accessing multiple accounts if they gain access to one.

2. Use Passphrases

Passwords and passphrases are different, and passphrases are better. Passwords are typically a combination of a single word with additional characters such as numbers and symbols. Passphrases are a series of multiple words with numbers and symbols. These words should be seemingly random to each other but have meaning and are easy to remember for you. For example, c0ffee54321 is an example of a simple password, but lovecoffeeeveryday19285 takes the word and makes a more complex phrase with a random number sequence which is much harder to crack.

3.Update Frequently

Change your passwords often. While this may seem tedious, it will reduce the risk of your information being compromised.

4. Use a Password Manager

There are many apps and services that provide password management. Research online before deciding which one is best for your needs.

5. Never Use Personal Information

Avoid names and important dates. Bad actors will often use social media to gain access to information such as important family members or pet names, your own name, or birthdays which are commonly used in passwords.

6. Improve Password Strength

The longer the password, the better. Many sites require an 8-character minimum password. However, industry experts suggest 14-16 characters at minimum, but more is always better. This is where passphrases and unique symbols can help with reaching the character count.

MINOT, ND – Brady Tofteland, a sophomore at Westhope Public School, spent the day outside of the classroom and inside the day-to-day of SRT Chief Executive Officer and General Manager Cassidy Hjelmstad.

Westhope students got the opportunity to job shadow area professionals of their choice thanks to the Choice Ready Grant provided by the North Dakota Department of Public Instruction. Tofteland chose Hjelmstad, a Newburg native.

“When you have the option to shadow a CEO at a large company, you don’t turn it down,” Tofteland said. While he has a couple of years before he graduates high school, he considers his interests in things like hunting and video games when it comes to thinking of future job opportunities. He has a piqued interest in wildlife biology, but also said he was excited to learn about what a CEO is, what the job entails, and what sort of preparation goes into reaching a position like that.

The day included a rundown of all things SRT, cooperative principles, a tour of office headquarters on North Broadway and the SRT Network Operations Center in downtown Minot, and a look at the many responsibilities of Cassidy Hjelmstad.

There is nothing worse than grabbing your phone and seeing 10% remaining on the battery when there is no charger in sight. Here are a few battery-saving tips to get you through in a pinch:

1. Turn the screen brightness down.

2. Turn off apps running in the background.

3. Turn off location services, Bluetooth, and wi-fi if you aren’t using them.

4. Turn on low-power mode.

5. Turn off notifications temporarily.

6. In a serious pinch, turn on airplane mode.

Some general tips to prolong the life of your phone’s battery include:

1. Check battery usage in settings to see which apps are using excess battery.

2. Avoid full and overnight charging. Charging to 90% and not leaving your phone charging all through the night can preserve the life of your phone’s battery.

3. Keeping the battery between 20% and 90% is a general rule of thumb for maintaining a battery’s life.

4. Turn your phone off when it is charging.