As an assistant you may have access to a client's email, calendar, files, social media pages or customer lists. That makes you a target. Scammers know that if they can break into an assistant's account, they can reach the client. Keeping accounts safe is part of the job, and clients notice assistants who take it seriously.
Strong passwords
- Use a different password for every account. If one is stolen, the others stay safe.
- Make passwords long: a phrase of several random words is easier to remember and harder to guess than a short word with symbols.
- Never use names, birthdays or phone numbers.
- Consider a password manager, an app that stores your passwords securely behind one strong main password. Some are free, and phones have built in ones.
Two step verification
Two step verification, also called two factor authentication, means that logging in needs your password and a second thing, usually a code from an app or a text message, or a prompt on your phone. Even if someone steals your password, they cannot get in without the second step. Turn it on for your email first, because email is used to reset every other account. Keep your backup codes somewhere safe and offline.
Safe access to client accounts
The safest way to work in a client's accounts is with that the client has given access to, such as a delegated inbox, a shared calendar or a role on their business page. Then nobody shares passwords, and the client can remove your access at any time. If you must use a shared password, keep it in a password manager, never in a chat message, notes app or SOP document.